Reunion
by Seika Warrior
Summary: Jim went into the Darklands alone in hopes of finding his friends before Gunmar notices. Marshall struggles earning back his friend's trust. Talia still remains with the resistance until she finds a way to save Enrique, but when she hears of Jim's presence things could've gotten better.
1. Chapter 1

Reunion

Chapter 1

Jim looked back at the rebuilt structure of Killahead bridge hearing the echoes of his friends and loved ones begging him to come back. But the boy could not bare the sight of losing them like they had just lost Arrrgh from their battle with Angor Rot. He turned around and walked away onto the dead plains and when he reached to the edge peak of the cliff his disbelieving eyes beheld towering rocks that structured at odd angles, a black eerie looking sun looming its light over everthing, and a mind-bending maze that appears to be an endless labrinth.

The engravings in Jim's armor pulsed red, the Sword of Eclipse appeared in his hand. The black sword shimmered as Jim afflixed it magnectically to his armor back.

"Tally," he said. "Hold on just a little longer I'm coming. And Gunmar you better not lay a hand on her when I find you." Even though he could not see any sign of life around him. He knew that his childhood-friend was out there waiting for him, and so was Gunmar. But he right now the only thing he's concern about more is finding Talia, and also rescueing Enrique; Claire's baby brother. Jim looked over the edge and wondered of how he was going to jump or climbed down. He also wished that he had bothered of bringing supplies before he came through the bridge.

Now that the Resistance base had been destroyed after from Amos's rampage. Skarlagk had decided the best choice was to relocate to one of their nine secure hideouts with the aid of their very own Nylargroth. But this one was not like the rest of them. This one was the queen, the colossal titan, the mother of all the Nylargroth's, and she's the mobile home of the resistance.

"You've never told me that you've had a gigantic size earth worm hiding underneath your castle," Talia said impressed of how it's moving the fortress.

"This is why we're always one step ahead of Gunmar," Skarlagk explained. "If we let our guard down like of what happened ealier with Amos he would surely Gunmar would take the advantage and strike us down."

Amos the muderer of her entire clan had finally been slain. The thought of him dying, returning to his human form after he'd been free from the curse when Talia finished him haunted her. His last words were '_Don't let them control you.'_ Did he mean Skarlagk, Gunmar, or the witch who had turned him? Ever since Talia had discovered her powers it had painted a target on her back. Vendel had told her the story about her family and how they were wiped out all because of this one certain ability Gunmar had his eye on. But now she wonder's what that tyrant is doing now.

Meanwhile Gunmar sits atop of his skull-shaped throne listening to his goblin messenger of Amos's demise. "So she had killed him," he said. "Why am I not surprise?" He absorbed some traces of energry from within the dying, husk, Heartstone to provide him energy to stand. "The cub has proven herself to be a formidable foe. That light. . .that power there's no doubt about it. She has obtained the power of enhancement." He clenched clawing his claws into the thrones arm-rest furiously remembering the thought of Talia humilating him infront of his army from that stunt she pulled during their fight. "When I find her. I swear I will- -"

But then a sharp pain shot through to his skull as he clutched onto his missing eye while his other one flared in agony. Dictatious and Kodanth entered the room coming to their master's aid from hearing his screams echoe in the castle. "What ails you, great Gunmar," Dictatious asked.

"My eye," said Gunmar, recovering. "Though it has been lost for centuries, it felt like it had suddenly returned to its socket."

"Or somewhere very close," Dictatious suggested.

"Could it be," Gunmar wondered. "My Eye? Here? In the Darklands?"

"It could quite possible be him sire, the Trollhunter," Dictatious said. "He may have obtained your Eye."

"Impossible," Kodanth protested. "What about the Janus Order? My network of Changeling spies has protected the Eye of Gunmar since-"

"And yet our Dark Underlord senses its presence nearby," Dictatious interrupted. "Surely you don't doubt he who tamed the Darklands. . .do you Kodanth?"

Now Gunmar fixed his stare upon Kodanth, who shrank under his severe gaze.

"N-no, of course not," replied the trembling Kodanth.

"And if the Trollhunter followed the last Rites of Bodus to collect your Birthstone, Killstone, and Eye. . ." Dictatious began.

"Then the fool has now come here in a pathetic attempt to stop me," said Gunmar in understanding. "And, more importantly, has the portal back to the surface lands. One which I can force him to open. . ."

"Your brilliance never ceases to astound, my Dark Underlord. The way you pieced all that together-clearly you have no need for an advisor such as I. Let alone two. . . ," Dictatious said with a smirk aimed at Kodanth.

Gunmar's eye flickered as he thought over Dictatious words. Finally, he spoke.

"Dictatious, dispatch my deadliest soldiers to scour the Darklands in search of Merlin's champion. If the Trollhunter who robbed me of my son has crossed into this accursed dimension, I would have words with him. . . right before I feast on his entrails and wipe the gore from my jaws with a rag made of his skin."

"I will escort them personally, Master," Dictatious said with a bow.

"And how can I be of ser-ser-service," Kodanth said still trembling.

"You shall investigate your Janus Order," commanded Gunmar. "And discover how they allowed my Eye to fall into the Trollhunter's possession under your so-called. . . .leadership."

Gunmar lumbered past his two advisers- one pleased, one terrified- and stood before a large gate composed of crystalline orange spikes. He grunted, and the crystal shards retreated into the bedrock, revealing a deep cavern.

"Both of you, leave me to my Horde, "Gunmar ordered. "I must ready them to hunt the Silver Lion, and my other nemesis Skarlagk. Hmph, how fitting that all of my enemies shall soon meet the their bloody fate."

Gunmar descended into the cavern, and the spikes stabbed out again to close the passage behind him. A moment later, a loud chorus of monstrous animal sounds echoed from within the cavern as Gunmar greeted his Horde. Kodanth shuddered at the horrific noise, but Dictatious didn't seem disturbed in the slightest.


	2. Chapter 2

Reunion

Chapter 2

Piles of scrolls and books of Troll lore sat open and unread on the large reading table in Blinky's library. The sounds of construction rang from outside as Trolls repaied the damage caused by Angor Rot's recent attact on Heartstone Trollmarket. But the library still empty. . .until a tiny black dot appeared in the corner.

The dot quickly grew from a pinprick into a wide tear through time and space, causing the scrolls and books to flutter with a rush of wind. A voice was heard from the the wide black hole within the shadows and said, "One! Two! Three! PUSH!"

A moment later Arrrgh's stone body slid out of the black hole and into the library. Marshall, Toby, Claire, and Blinky followed, shoving their petrified friend into the corner. But a certain lazy, little, changeling; NotEnrique, did nothing but sat ontop of Arrrgh's stone head eating a sock.

"That's the spirit," NotEnrique went on. "Ya flashbags ain't so weak when yer put your backs into it!"

Marshall, Claire, and Toby shot a dirty little look at the changeling, before they all collapsed with exhaustion. Toby's round belly heaved as he caught his breath, Claire wiped the sweat from her brow and tucked her blue lock of hair behind her ear, while Marshall laid back on the floor looking up at the ceiling catching his breath.

"Boy. . .that was alot of heavy lifting," Marshall said gasping from the exhaustion.

"And. . .I used to think. . . ." Toby said between gulps of air. "That my wingman . . .was heavy. . .before!"

"At least moving Arrrgh gave us something to do," said Claire. "I don't think I could've handled staring at Killahead Bridge for another second. . .just hoping for Jim to come back through it."

She raised her Shadow Staff and made the black hole shrink and disappear altogether. Claire had been practicing with the shadow staff for sometime and has gotten the hang of creating portals, jumping through them, and she can teleport just about anywhere except the Darklands.

Blinky shut his six eyes and nodded in agreement with Claire, but said nothing. Normally, he could speak at length on any subject.

NotEnrique finished the last remains of the sock and slid down on Arrrgh's smooth back and landing on his cloven feet. "Well I'm bushed," he said with a yawn. "Time to grab a pint at the Glug Pub. Adios, suckers!"

NotEnrique tossed a wave over his shoulder as he strutted his way towards the exit. But Claire extended his Shadow Staff and hooked him by his diaper. She lifted the fiesty little guy into the air so that they were at eye level.

"Oi! What's the big idea, sponge-face?!" NotEnrique said. "This's cruel and unusual, is what it is!"

"No," said Claire, leaning in closer to NotEnrique. "The 'big idea' is that you aren't going anywhere until we all figure out a way to help Jim."

NotEnrique pawed at the Shadow Staff and said, "What's that gotta dow with me? I hardly even knew Jim. I mean - Jim who? Never heard of 'im!"

Marshall raised his head off from the ground hearing the sounding voice of this obnoxious selfish creature making an excuse of leaving this situation.

"James Lake Jr!" he yelled at NotEnrique. "The guy who went into the Darklands to find Enrique! Claire's baby brother! That you've robbed him of his life by impersonating him. So the best thing you can do right now is help not only him, but Tally who is also there as well."

Toby got back on his feet and stood towering over him with his arms crossed, "Oh that's rich. Says the guy who's keeping secrets of our best friend fighting for her life in the Darklands!"

"Tobias," Blinky said trying to calm him down.

"No, Blinky. He's right," Marshall raised his hand denying his help. He got back on his feet with his head down in shame. He took a deep breath, looked at them in the eye and said, "But. . .I-I only did it, because Talia thought of what's best. I didn't want to keep it a secret. Believe me, it was harder for me than it was for all of you. Amos is just as dangerous as Gunmar. You would be dealing with two problems at once."

"Marshall," Claire said. "I understand you made a promise and I respect that. But doing the right thing is more important than keeping a promise. And it's not just Talia you've been lying about, but Enrique. My little brother who was taken into that horrible place and might probably in danger right now thanks to you."

Marshall was hurt by her words even though they were true, but Talia had a plan to fix all of this right after he'd rescued her from Skarlagk's clutches. He did not expect to backfire when Jinx and Chompsky had returned bringing them the bad new of about Amos's rampage after from destroying the charm that Gunmar had been using to control him.

Marshall tried to speak, "Claire I-" But she turned away from him with her arms crossed trying to hold back the tears in her eye. Marshall looked back at Toby giving him the same silent treatment. Then he looked back at Blinky not sure of what he had to say for all of this. Marshall looked down in shame, took a deep breath, and walked away towards the exit.

Marshall walked into the streets passing by watching every troll repairing their home from after their battle with Angor Rot. There were even some moving their deceased loved ones who'd been slain. The damage was so hurting and yet also sad, wondering if this is what it feels like for them losing everything. His eyes were so fixated by the whole scene he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings and bumped into something stone hard. . .or yet someone.

"I still see that you are upset, Young Sorceror?" Marshall looked up recognizing the pale, old, goat looking, troll with a Heartstone staff in hand. "Hi Vendel," Marshall said with the sound of guilt in his voice. Vendel put his giant hand around his shoulders and have him walk with him. "Blinkous, has told me of your connection with the Silver Lion and her run in with her Uncle."

"Oh, you've heard," Marshall said still feeling upset.

"I'm not surprised that Merlin would send someone like him in the Darklands. Although I did not expect Gunmar would even think about using a cat for his delusional cause."

"Yeah, except this guy is another souless being with powerful dark magic like Angor, and Talia's probably struggling on the edge of her life." Marshall said.

"True, but. . . ."Marshall looked up at him and said, "But what?"

Vendel looked at him and said, "Do you remember or have you not heard of what shook the earth. Or have you considered of contacting the girl to ensure of her condition?"

Marshall eyes have widen, Vendel's words have shot an idea up his brain. _Of course why didn't I think of that before?! I'm such an idiot, _He thought. But this wasn't the best place to require concentration for all of the sounds of construction and people working. Marshall ran through the streets of Trollmarket making his way toward the exit knowing of where to go. Vendel watched the boy running fast on his two legs with a smile on his face knowing of what he plans to do. He strokes his goatee thinking, _Either if it's this boy's power of what's connecting him to that girl or is it his own affections he has for her? We may never know._


	3. Chapter 3

Reunion

Chapter 3

Barbara was resting on the med bed recovering from surving the binding spell, creeper sun poison, and Angor Rot all at the same night. June was sitting next to her not only to keep her company, but also maintain surveilance. Draal was outside in broad daylight, but keeping himself in the shadows and remained as stealthy as possible not to draw any unwanted human attention, and surprisingly he was doing a good job for someone so big. Her niece had been dragged into Killahead Bridge and has been trapped in the Darklands for months. Now Jim, Barbara's only son has walked into the very same world of death to find her. All June can do now was to take care of his mother for now, and keep Jim's absence a secret. Barbara cringed her face, opened her eyes in a blurry vision, she reached for her glasses to help her see.

"Barbara," June said, noticing her awakening. "You're awake."

"June?" Barbara asked, surprised to see her. The spell that Vendel had performed removing the binding spell not only freed her from Strickler, but wiped out her memory of her experience in Trollmarket, her son's secret life, and her of being a witch. "I haven't seen you for quite sometime. What are you doing here," she asked.

June tried to think a way of coming up with a lie and said, "Jim called and told me of your accident. I was worried so I came as soon as I heard."

Barbara lifted herself from the mattress and said, "Is Talia with you? Jim and Toby said that you two were taking some business trips around the United States."

"Oh...Well- -She's back at home catching up with her studies," June said. "But enough about me. How about you? You feeling better?"

"I-I think so," Barbara rubbing her head. "Where's Jim?"

Now how was she going to come up a lie with this one? Her son is in an alternate dimension where evil trolls are imprisoned. She could cast one of her spells to create an illusion real enough to fool her for the time, but how long will she have to do that? No matter what June had failed to keep her family safe she was not going fail protecting her friend. "It's a school day, Barbara. He's perfectly fine," she said patting her hand in comfort. "But try to get some rest. You've had a dramatic incident the best thing to do right now is to take care of yourself."

Jim had climbed down with the use of his glaives and has reached to the bottom. He removed the glaives from the rock wall and began his search. _Tally has been here for a long time and probably knows the place than I do. So she must know where the Nursery is. If I can find her, she can lead me to the Nursery, if we find the Nursery, we find Enrique. And we can all go home without anyone wanting to try and kill us, _Jim thought. After from recieving that gruesome message from Gunmar delivered by the little gnome, Chompsky, and June's black-cat familiar, Jinx. Talia was being hunted as of right now. She could've told him of the trouble she was in but instead she went at it alone. Like what he's doing right now. The thought of his friend's filled his mind thinking about the hurt looks on their faces before he'd closed the vault on them before using the Amulet to rebuild the bridge and opening the portal. Then the thought of his mother came into mind wondering if she'd woke up from the spell that made her forget that Jim was the Trollhunter. Would Draal honor his oath and protect her? Could he even protect her. There's nothing to worry about now since Strickler and Angor Rot were out of the picture. But he was more concerned of about his mother with her heart breaking finding out her own son is missing. Then there's Arrrgh who has died in battle sacrificing his life to save his friends, and now he's been turned to solid stone. There was no way he was losing anymore of his loved ones never again.

Turning to the corner, Jim stepped into the clearing, his blood froze. A Gumm-Gumm at his post stood before him, leaning against a wide axe that looked corroded from ages of neglect. Jim reached for the Eclipse Blade on his back until he'd noticed something. The Gumm-Gumm had not reacted to his presence it was almost as if he was. . .

"Asleep," Jim whispered. The Gumm-Gumm snored gently under his helmet Jim tip-toed trying to wake the sleeping Gum-Gumm, just when he crept behind his back, a fierce wind blew across the Darklands. The gale had loosened some gravel on a stone shelf over Jim's head. He watched with dread as little bits of rock fell and clinked against the Gumm-Gumm's helmet. Rousing with a start, the Gumm-Gumm stood to a bolt upright and yelled, "Who goes there?!"

Jim cringed behind the guards back still unseen, he tried reaching for his sword again, but the metal plates on his armor tapped together as his arm moved. The Gumm-Gumm spun around and searched the space behind him. Fortunately, Jim jumped before he could spot him, managing to stay behind his back. The Trollhunter timed his footfalls to land with Gumm-Gumm's and kept out of his line of sight.

"If that's the Scorned or one of her rebels, come out to face me," The Gumm-Gumm growled. "And the end of my ax!"

Jim didn't move a muscle. Hearing nothing els, the Gumm-Gumm huffed in satisfaction. He leaned against his ax and dozed off once more. The second Jim heard the lazy lookout's snore return, he padded away as quickly and as quietly as he could. It was only he was out of the earshot. Jim remembered to breath again. He exhaled visible clouds in the chilly air and shivered as he found himself in front of a labyrinth. "I wonder if the Eclipse Armor could unlock a blanket for me," Jim joked to himself.

All of a sudden, Jim felt warmth against his back. At first he thought the armor had provided him heat, but as he turned he saw that it had nothing to do with him. It came, instead, from a large fast flying fireball that hurled out of the darkness and toward Jim like a comet.

"WHO ARE YOU?" demanded the fireball. "WHO ARE YOU?" Jim pulled the Sword of Eclipse off his back, held it in front of his body, and hoped like a crazy that this new armor was fire proof...

Marshall ran all the way on his rollerblades through town, through the neighborhood, he even hitched a ride on a oldman's busted rusty old truck to help him get to the outside of Arcadia Oaks towards the woods. The oldman pulled over on the side of the road where massive pine trees where standing tall and green. "Alright boy, this is it. Are you sure, you're okay with this?" Marshall jumped off from the back and landed on the soft grass, "Yes, thankyou." The oldman looked at him and then shrugged before he put his truck in drive and took off. Marshall then began running into the woods and followed an old trail that looked like it hasn't been used for decades. Marshall remembered the story during his training he asked of his mentor of her niece's family telling him that outside of town when she, Adam, and Beatrice has always come to this place every summer to go on vacation. This was the place where Adam and Beatrice made their vows in marriage, coming here on their anniversary...the same place where they celebrated their daughter's fifth birthday before they died. Marshall raced through the woods passing by every tree, jumping every rock, and trunk. Once there was light just up ahead...he was there.

The tall grass plains with all of the fireflies lighting up in the air, and dandelions all around. Marshall has always been seeing this place in Talia's dream, but he never thought he could imagine of seeing this in real life. It was breath taking. "No wonder Talia dreams of this place," He said to himself. "It's beautiful."

Marshall took a deep breath and exhaled. Then remembered of why he came here in the first place. He crouched down, sat in a criss-cross postion, placed the back of his hands on his knees, pinched his middle fingers, to his thumbs, closed his eyes, and began concentrating on the one person he has on the mind the most, Talia.

Talia looked over the horizon still seeing the same dark sun she sees every single day. She had won the battle with the Dark Beast, Amos, but the war with Gunmar was only the beginning. Now that she's achieved the power of Enhancement there was no doubt that he will start searching for her. But she wonder's of how Enrique and the rest of the babies in the Nursery are doing. Hopeing that they are still alright. Gunmar tried using them to black-mail her in the first place, but somehow everything else seems calm... for now. "Talia." A familiar voiced whispered into her ear, she turned around and saw the ghostly boy who had freed her from her prison, "Marshall!" she said.

"Talia, you're okay," he said walking up taking a good look at her. He place his ghostly hand on her right cheek as if he was here. Talia was confused and a bit wierd at first then Marshall realized it too. He pulled his hand back and said, "Sorry, it's been a rough night. Jinx and Chompsky returned to Trollmarket and have told us of your last counter with Amos. We were afraid that you've died, but when we heard that roar we've assumed that it was you. We fought Angor and. . ."He looked around and taking notice of his surroundings. "Wait...why are you back at Skarlagk's fortress?"

Talia raised her hands and try to explain, "It's a long story, Marshall. But let me explain." Marshall wasn't sure at first, but he knew that he trusts her. He nodded his head allowing her to continue. "After you've helped me escaped, Jinx and Chompsky went into hiding devising a plan to steal the charm Gunmar was using to control Amos. And when I went to go hunting I ran into a female changeling named Nomura. One of our enemies my friends and I fought on the surface. So we made a deal and she helped me prepare and know what she knows about Gunmar. When that time came and I faced Gunmar we fought, and while I was distracting him, Jinx and Chompsky seized the opportunity and stole the charm making our escape. But when we had the charm in our possession Amos attacked us and tried to take back the charm so he could make himself immortal permantley, but I stopped him and destroyed the charm. Amos went crazy, attacked, and manage to wound me, but I escaped before he could kill me. Then Skarlagk found me, brought me back to her fortress, I refused to return to the resistance at first, and then surprisingly Nomura helped me, but when Amos attacked the Resistance I couldn't leave them to die, so I came back to help. It was an intense battle, Amos's power was overwhelming I would've died if Skarlagk and the others hadn't helped. Just when I thought I was done for I- -" Talia looked down to her hands remembering the feeling and thought of her father's sweet, warm, comforting face.

"What? You what?" Marshall asked.

Talia looked up back at him and said,"I saw my dad."

"What?" Marshall said now more confused than ever before.

"I know it sounds crazy. But I really saw my father like I was in somekind of limbo, he told me I was never alone, my powers brought me back, and I somehow have finally mastered the power of Enhancement,," she said.

"You did," Marshall surprisingly asked.

"Yes, and I managed to use it to aid Skarlagk and her army, and we all took Amos down," she finished.

"So, Amos is gone," Marshall asked.

The thought of Amos dieing, free from his curse, and his final words ringing inside of her head saying '_Don't let them control you'. _Talia found her voice and said, "Yes." Marshall exhaled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Even if he was sweating and said, "Oh, good. That's one thing that Jim doesn't have to worry about."

His mentioning of her childhood friend had caught her attention and said, "What do you mean?"

Marshall wasn't sure on how to tell her, but she had to know of her friend's situation right away. "Strickler gave Jim the last Triumbric stone and used his amulet to open the portal, and now he's in the Darklands alone trying to find you."

"He's what?!" Talia's shouted with her eyes bulging out wide.


	4. Chapter 4

Reunion

Chapter 4

The Eclipse Sword slashed through the blazing jet of fire, diverting it into smoke beside him. Jim twirled his blade in the air to cool it, then caught its hilt in his other hand. This brief moment reminded him of his poaching skills of cooking in the kitchen making the perfect egg he never thought he would be using against a ball of fire. Snapping back in reality Jim returned to focusing on the fight.

"WHO ARE YOU?" repeated the fireball as it launched another rippling wave of flames.

Jim ducked, rolled, and activated his shield from his gauntlet now black and red like his armor, the shield withstood this new searing volley. Jim felt sweat pouring down his face, but at least he was still alive and not roasted alive.

"I'm the Trollhunter," Jim answered. "I'm here to save a friend and a stolen child. Nothing can get in my way. Especially an overgrown firefly like you!"

Once the flames burned out, Jim jumped for cover behind a heavy boulder and concentrated. The scorched shield and sword dissipated from Jim's hands, only to be replaced with the two Glaives. Jim interlocked the pair of blades into a single weapon and hurled it at the fireball. The Glaives spun through the air in a razor-sharp arc, narrowly missing their target.

"YOUR PUNY TRINKETS HAVE NO EFFECT ON ME, INTRUDER!" said the fireball, even as the Glaives circled back toward it like a boomeran. "I AM THE UNENDING FIRE! I AM THE INFERNO INCARNATE! I AM-"

The Glaives sliced through the fireball, spiltting it into two smaller spheres.

"ACK!" said bot fireballs before they fell to the ground.

Jim caught the Glaives on their return and seperated them. He approached the two downed fireballs, training his Glaives on them. But to Jim's surpris, the fireballs didn't fly again. Instead, they merged back into a single ball, which, in turn, changed shape into a humanlike figure-albeit one covered from head to toe in living flames.

"Looks like this was my last case after all, partner," said the firey figure. "And with only two weeks left until retirement."

"What?" Jim asked, his eyes bulging as the figure held out a friendly, but flaming, hand.

"Maybe we should start over," said the figure.

"Start over?!" Jim said. "You were just trying to barbecque me!"

"The only way to survive the Darklands is by killing everything else in the Darklands," said the fire-being as he stood up and dusted himself off. "The names, Rob, by the way."

"Rob?" Jim repeated. "I thought you were the Unending Fire or Inferno Incarnate or something?"

"Yeah sure, but my friends, just call me Rob," Rob said with a shrug.

"You. . . have friends?" Jim asked, unable to hide his skepticism.

"I do now!" Rob replied.

"Unbelievable," muttered JIm as started to walk away. "As if the Darklands weren't weird enough. . ."

Talia was out on the run in her new armor created by her pedant, her family heirloom which has been passed onto her by her late father. After Marshall contacted her with his telepathic astral projection. She snuck away from Skarlagk's fortress, using her beast form. Now she's speeding through, jumping from rock to rock, following the scent. Talia may have been gone from the surface for some time, but she remembered her friend's scent like it was yesterday. "Hold on Jim," she said to herself making another big leap ontop of a giant boulder and another. "I'm coming."

A purple hand reached up to the withered vine and plucked the fruit that sagged from it.

"Mmm, Cimmerian fruit. Smells like . . .death," said Nomura before she took a ravenous bite and snatched some more from the vines. Several months in the Darklands has been hard especially to find some food. She even had a run in with her former enemy, whom has not been seen for a day since the battle at Skarlagk the Scorn's Fortress. She had saw the girl's power overcome a dangerous and yet powerful demon created by the Mother of all Monsters magic. "I do not know why she would want go back helping that scoundrel of a daughter of his anyway." Talia had only agreed to aid Skarlagk in her conquest so she could survive the dangers of the Darklands, but it wasn't enough dealing with a traitor who had massacred her entire clan and being decieved by the Skullcrusher willing to destroy the Familiar's Nursery. Infact the children were the first reason why she'd left Skarlagk in the first place. She was willing to destroy anything in her path to avenge her father's death. But her acts of chivilary led her into saving the resistance from Amos's wrath and now he's dead. _So why even bother with the resistance,_ she thought.

Nomura never really cared for human children, but for some reason Talia was the first human-being to take pity on her. She can't help wonder why or how she can be so concerned for that girl. Was it her skills and talent showing promising potential or. . . .was she truelly growing on her. She shook her head to wipe it clear from her mind and whistled her favourite song, _Peer Gynt._

She whistled leaning up against the tree with her eyes closed, drifting off in her overdue sleep. Yet the muted sounds of a nearby movement made her cat eyes snap back open. Nomura sprang back onto her feet and unsheathed the two scimitars strapped to her back. She scanned the darkness and saw several pairs of beady red eyes glowing back at her.

"Cha-hoon! Cha-hoon!" wailed dozens of tiny voices before a pack of Albino Goblins leaped out at her from behind the wilted vines.

She slapped away a few of white skinned, red-eyed creatures with her curved blades and ran from the twisted vineyard. The Goblins chased her like deranged bloodhounds and kep calling, "Cha-hoon! Cha-hoon!"

With her long muscular legs, Nomura easily outpaced the Goblin pack. But she halted in the middle of a narrow rope bridge that stretched over a platoon of Gumm-Gumm's waited at the other end, their barbed weapons drawn.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Dictatious said with menace. "An unregistered Changeling running free in the Darklands."

Nomura looked back and saw the Goblins massing at the other end. Trapped, she peered over the side of the rope bridge and saw nothing but endless black beneath her.

"Did you enter our realm with the Trollhubter," Dictatious asked. "The human they call Jim Lake Junior?"

A bitter laugh overcame Nomura. The Goblins and Tune Gumm-Gumm's looked at one another, not getting the joke.

"The Trollhunter?" she cackled. "You'd find him in pieces if we'd traveled together."

Dictatious arched his six eye-brows and said, "Charming, I'm sure. But tell me, if not the Trollhunter, then what, exactley, brings you to the domain of Gunmar the Vicous?"

"As if I'd tell a scheming underling like you," Nomura smirked.

She took a step backward and almost lost her footing. A few pebbles dropped off the rope bridge and disappeared in the darkness below. Nomura regained her balance, but remained slightly distracted since she never heard those pebbles hit the bottom.

"Oh? But tell me something, Changeling." Dictatious said tapping his all sixteen fingers together, arching his stone eyebrow with curiousity. "Two days ago, the Silver Lion came to Gunmars domain, and faced him in combat. She has proven quite far more formidable than we've ever anticipated."

Nomura leered at the six-eyed troll fearing of what was on his mind. If he's figured out that she's been assisting the enemy he may want answer's from her and of the girl's whereabouts.

"What are you implying," she said, trying to act dum.

"During Gunmar's match with the Silver Lion I could not help but wonder. . .of how she was able to read and predict his movements. It was almost as if she knew her enemy- -"he snapped one of her fingers, "Just like that. Unless. . .someone has been mentoring her."

But Nomura remained quiet, how was she going to get out of this one. Her only option was to tell them the locations of Skarlagk's Fortress. Where the girl is now hiding. Through all her years of training and concealing her emotions she cannot fight whatever it was that's holding her back.

Dictatious knew the answer right away it was written all over her face. A menacing smirk spread across underneath his hood. "Ah, so it was you. I'm not surprise. I knew you Impures were liars, but helping an enemy defeat Gunmar very disappointing." He turned away as his cloake twirled and gave the Gumm-Gumm's command, "Make it painful."

The Gumm-Gumm's and Goblins closed in on Nomura, bloodlust in their manic eyes. She gripped the scimitars tighter.

"You still have one last chance to save your life," Nomura called out.

Dictatious looked back at her with bemused curiosity and asked," Save my life?"

"That's right," Nomura said. She did not know what she was doing. Is she really going to sell the girl out? Just for herself? All she could think of right now was herself. "All who serve Gunmar know of his distaste for failure. I've trekked from one end of the Darklands to the other just to avoid his vengeance."

"The only failure my six eyes see here is you, Impure," Dictacious spat.

His four arms flashed a signal and the Gumm-Gumms and Goblins encroached upon Nomura once again. But rather than strike out at her enemies, Nomura relaxed and returned her swords to the scabbards on her back.

"True," she said. "But if I die. I take the location of Skarlagk's hidden fortress with me."

Dictacious's six eyes went wide, and ordered the Gumm-Gumm's and the Goblin's to stop, "Wait!"

Everyone halt and stood completely still, "You know, a long time ago, I bartered for my life in the Darklands. I betrayed other-Trolls I admired, even respected -so I might survive. You'd do the same, Changeling?"

"That's right," said Nomura. "I've been here long enough to know Gunmar hates Skarlagk almost as much as he does the Trollhunter. And only I know where to find her. But if you end me before Ij can share the information with Gunmar. . . well, who's the failure now?"

Jim continued walking down the endless maze with his so called guide lighting his flaming body like a lantern in the darkness. "This is totally out of control!" said Jim

"Whattaya mean, amigo?" asked Rob.

Every time he landed at a new spot in the maze, Rob left behind a small batch of fire which Jim had to stomp on with his armor feet.

"It's Doctor Despot, isn't it," Rob went on. "Don't worry. We're gonna blow his entire crime syndicate sky-high, rescue the mayor, and still get you home in time for your daughter's piano recital. So swears Gun-"

"You're not Gun Robot!" yelled Jim. "I'm not Gun Robot's partner! We're in the Darklands- not Gun Robot 2!"

"Gun Robot 3, you mean," Rob corrected. "Buy you're right I should just learn to be myself around friends."

"We're not friends!" Jim scowled as he stampered out another blaze.

"Oh, okay," said Rob, his fiery lips pouting. "I get it. I mean who'd want to be friends with a burning freak like me?"

Jim sighed despite himself. Seeing Rob standing there with his head stooped and his lit arms hangin at his sides. Jim couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

"I . . . I'm sorry, Roby," JIm said. " It's got nothing to do with you. I . . .I'm just keeping strict 'no friends' policy while I'm down here. I need my mind clear of all emotional attachments so I can do whatever it takes to rescue Talia and Enrique, and most of all stop Gunmar."

"Aw, I could never stay mad at you!" Rob said, instantly happy again. "Now, let's high-five, freeze-frame, and roll credits!"

Jim let out an irritated groan and marched past Rob's out-stretched hand. The Trollhunter continued along their chosen path until he reached yet another fork in the road.

"Wait," said Jim as he studied his surroundings. "Weren't we at this exact same spot hours ago?"

"Huh, I dunno. All these passageways start looking the same after a while," Rob said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Didn't you say you could lead me throught his maze?" Jim asked, his anger rising.

"Sure,"Rob said. "Eventually."

"Eventually?!" Jim hollered.

HIs loud voice echoed throughout the labyrinth, until another dreadful shriek answered it.

"That. . .sounded close," Jim said in a voic that had grown hoarse with thrist.

"Lock and load," Rob replied as he made finger guns with fire hands.

Jim concenrated once againg, and the Eclipse blade and shield returned black-and-red flash. The Trollhunter held a _shh _finger to his chapped lips as he crept past Rob and up to the fork in the road. Taking a deep breath, Jim slowly craned his head down the left tunnel. Empty. Jim's body unclenched. Steadying his nerves, he then approached the right tunnel and peeked into it.

A guagantan, glowing eel sprang out of the darkness and snapped at the Trollhunter with rows upon rows of spiny teeth.

"Whoa!" shouted Jim before he stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding the bite.

The bioluminescent serpent screeched again in hunger and slithered out of the tunnel, blocking both sides of the fork with long, coiled body.

"Nyarlagroth!" cried Rob as the eel circled them. "Run for it!"

Rob shot flames at the Nyarlagroth, all while making sound effects with his mout. But the flames didn't affect the eel in the slightest. Its radiant, leathery skin didn't even have a singe mark on it.

"Oh right," Rob remembered. "These guys are fireproof."

The Nyarlagroth released its most deafening shriek yet. Jim covered his ears and ran, with Rob hot on his heels. They retraced their steps, turning left, right, right again, then left-no, right-no, lef! - until Jim's armored slammed into a dead end.

He head still riningin from the impact and the Nyarlagroth's screech, Jim pushed himself off the cold stone floor and looked around. The Trollhunter discovered he was all alone.

"Rob?"Jim called out. "Where are you?"

A faint glow appeared just beyond the dead en, and Jim chuckled in relief.

"Whew!" Jim said as the glow grew closer and brighter. "I thought we got seperated back there, Rob. You gave me quite a -"

Jim's next word caught in his throat as the source of glow reached the dead end.

"-scare."

Jim swallowed hard at the Nyarlagroth, not Rob, cornered him. It's lips peeled back, exposing teeth as tall as Jim, if not taller. The ee's Jaws parted, and a long tongue lanced out. It wrapped around the Trollhunter like a tentacle. JIm heard the plates of his armor crunch and scrape as the tongue started to squeeze.

"Gah!" Jim wheezed, the air being forced from his lungs.

He tried to summon the Glaives to appear in his hands, but Jim found it harder and harder to concentrate. He began to black out. With his vision growing murky, Jim could only watch helplessly as the Nyarlagroth pulled him closer to its open, dripping mouth. The Trollhunter shut his eyes, bracing for the worst, until a mighty thunderous roar filled the dead end.

Jim felt the tongue suddenly loosen around his body before it dropped, his body was floating in the air like a feather before he was gently placed on the cold stone ground again. Gasping for air, Jim struggled to this feet and looked up with blurry eyes.

The Nyarlagroth lay motionless before him, its tongue lolling on the floor, and it's body torned to shredds. A humanoid feline looking creature wearing armor with gray fur that looked just like Tally's emerged from the darkness.

"Jim!" she said with a sounding of a familiar voice. The cat creature ran up and slide down to his side. She lift his head up to face her, "Are you okay?"

"How do you know my name?" Jim weakly asked.

"It's me. Tally." she said.

Jim's eyes went wide with surprised before they rolled back in his head. The armor's red lines faded, and the Trollhunter- still reeling from lack of oxygen-fainted fast in her arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Reunion

Chapter 5

When people go through and do anything to help those they love most. Never would have guessed it had to keep secrets from them. Even if they might end up hateing you for it. The most hardest part is. . . .getting back home on an old crazy lady's car alive to tell his friends the good news. Marshall thought of the only best place to chat with Talia was her connection with the tall grass plains her parents used to take her when she was little. Now that she knows of Jim's whereabouts she should find him in time before Gunmar.

Marshall clinged on for his dear life clawing into the cushions of the front passenger seat from this elderly woman who is paying to much attention tending to her face with make up than keeping her eyes on the road. Marshall had heard the joke of about _not letting women drive _but this is ridiculous. Her grip on the wheel was loose her car had been swerving over the opposite lane to the other incoming cars. The driver in the truck honked his horn loudly trying to alert her, but her terrible hearing could not notice the sound, Marshall grabbed the wheel and brought them back to the right side of the road before there was any chance of collision.

"Ooh, now this new lip-stick color sure brings out my smile," she said. None the less this old lady also had a focusing problem. Marshall saw the billboard sign of Arcadia oaks he let out a big sigh of relief that the rollercoaster ride was over. When they've finally reached their stop at the bridge, she slammed her brakes making Marshall bang his head on the compartment side and dropping all of the stuff from the stuff inside.

Marshall unbuckled himself from the seat, opened the door, rushed out of the car, hung his head over the bridge and started to vomit.

"Have a good day, Deary," the sweet clueless old lady waved goodbye before taking off.

Marshall rubbed face still recovering from all of the chaos of dealing with that woman's reckless driving. "Ugh. . . .The cops need to check the date of her license." He could feel another gagg coming up from his throat his face puffed up and puked over the bridge again.

After from checking up on Barbara, June used her teleportation magic to the Lake's residence to clean up the scene of the crime. When the cops showed up after from recieving a report of loud disturbances in the neighborhood she wiped out their memory of any of this.

"There was no suspicous activity here," she said with an enchanted voice putting the officer's in a trance. "You will all return to the department with nothing to report, and tell your chief that it was a false alarm." The cops slowly turned around and walked to their car. June shut the door behind her and slid down on her back sighing in relief. "That was too close."

June brought out her phone looking at her photo of Talia with her long shiny silver hair and her sweet warm smile on her face. It had been several months since she'd had been missing. She was devastated at first when they informed that the portal had sucked her into the Darklands and had been dealing with a grief of loss and failure of keeping her promise to her brother. But thanks to her apprentice, Marshall, he'd been keeping her updated of Talia's condition. During their fight with Angor Rot she'd learned that he'd been keeping Talia's battle with Gunmar and her traitorous Great-Great Uncle a secret. Which upsetted not just her, but to everybody. But then again she had been keeping secrets from her own niece about her families history. Then that's when she'd realized that Marshall had been gone and hasn't spoken a word after the battle. So she dialed his number right away.

Claire,Toby, NotEnrique, met up with Draal at the hospital where Barbara lay resting. "How is she," Claire concerningly asked. "Thanks to the witch's magic she is resting for time being while she cover's up the mess at the Trollhunter's home." "Amazing of what you can do when you have a sorcoress on your side," Toby said looking up at the Hospital window where Barbara is sleeping in bed. NotEnrique climbed up on Claire's back and said, "It's great that she's covering up our tracks and everything, but what are we going to do to from finding out her son is missing?"

Then there was the sound of rustling in the nearby bushes, Draal came into alarm, and as everyone got out their weapons. Just when all seems quiet, a familiar. . .but dull pale looking face stepped out of the shadows moaning like a zombie.

Claire gasped and withdraw her weapon, "Marshall," she said with an irritated voice. Marshall wobbly walked all the way towards them.

"Dude, what the heck we thought you where a changeling," Toby said putting away his portable hammer.

Marshall then fell on his knees taking a couple of deep breaths, "I came to tell you guys. . .that Jim. . .is going to be okay."

They all looked at each other confused before they looked back at Marshall.

"What do you mean," Claire asked.

"I was able to reach Tally," he continued. "And she's searching for him as we speak."

"Wait? Tally? She's still alive?! Gunmar doesn't have her?!" Toby asked grabbing his shoulders.

"Yes. She's alive," Marshall said. "She defeated Amos, still with Skarlagk's resistance, and. . .she's finally has the power. . .the power of Enhancement."

Draal's eye widen when he heard of this and so did NotEnrique. "She's slain her family's murderous traitor?" Draal asked. "She's gone beyond the limit?!" NotEnrique asked. "And she's using it to aid the daughter of Orlagk?!"

Much to his surprise, the Trollhunter woke up alive. He winced in pain from his ribs still being sore from earlier. His tongue felt like sandpaper inside of his dry, sticky mouth. His skull throbbed with a splitting headache. And he found himself lying ontop of a stone bed in a dark and gloomy room with walls made of obsidian stone, and glowing teal rocks that are the only thing lighting the room.

"Jim!" he turned toward the sound of the familiar voice, before ending up embraced in a strong bear-hug. "Thankgoodness. I thought for moment you were dead." Talia released her hold letting him look at her, but in her human form. "Tally!" Jim smiled getting up from the stone bed, and hugged her back. He grabbed her shoulders and took a good look at her, "But how- -I just had a crazy dream that you were- -" "That wasn't a dream, Jim," Talia said. "That cat like creature really was me," Talia said, her face and entire body grew all furry, eyes turned ice cold blue, tail popped out from her behind, ears grew big round like an actual lions, and a facial feline appearance. Jim jaw dropped speechless of by what he was seeing. His childhood friend, surrogate sister, had changed. "This is. . .whoa." Jim said amazed.

Talia scratched behind her head feeling a little awkward, "Yeah, I've been through alot while I was away." "No kidding," Jim said, still surprise taking in her new look in. Jim shook his head to get his focus back. "Where are we?" Jim asked. "We're in Skarlagk's Underground Fortress, the resistance." Talia explained. "Marshall contacted me with his astral projection powers and told me you were here so acted fast and it was a good thing I'm came just in time before that Nyarlagroth tried to eat you." "Skarlagk? Orlagk's daughter," Jim asked. "Yeah. She and the rest of the Trolls here are planning to overthrow Gunmar. There were some complications between us, but I manage to talk some since into her after I saved her life, and she's agreed to help us to save Enrique and the rest of the babies at the Nursery. And with my Enhancement powers we might have a chance," Talia said.

After a long march, The Gumm-Gumm search party shove a shackled Nomura into the Crucible Pit. Dictatious approached the throne and bowed to Gunmar.

"Dark Underlord, we have yet to find any evidence of the Trollhunter's presence in the Darklands," Dictatious began. "But this rogue _Impure _we discovered may bring you some small measure of satisfaction."

Gunmar stood, and Nomura's defian posture faltered. But she quickly recovered and stared back into his lone, livid eye.

"I recognize you," Gunmar said, his stinking breath hitting Nomura like a fist.

Kodanth scrambled into the Crucible pit, late to the scene. He glanced at Dictatious, who wagged four disapproving fingers one on each hand at Kodanth, relieved that Gunmar hadn't mentioned his tardiness. "Nomura is a member of my Janus Order."

"Is that so?" Gunmar asked, still not taking his eye off Nomura. "I, too, remember her. As one of the Changellings who failed me when Bular last tried to return me to the surface lands. You do know the price of failure, do you not?"

Gunmar flexed his right claw, and strands of enegy weaved the Decimaar Blade nto his grasp. Dictatious tried get Gunmar's attention, to say Nomuras execution. But she beat him to it.

Nomura bent at the knees and flipped hight into the air. On her descent, Nomura tucked in her legs, pulled her cuffed arms infront of her body, and landed gracefully. The Gumm-Gumms immediately slashed at her with their axes. But Nomura held her manacles so that their weapons split the chains that bound her instead. Now freed, she grabbed the scimitars from her scabbards and fought back. Her curved blades struck against the Gumm-Gumms' rusty weapons, setting off showers of sparks that lit up the Crucible Pit.

After clearing a wide circle in the arena, Nomrua held out her left sword to keep her attackers at bay. With her right, she traced a fast map into the black sand floor, making nine distict spots with large Xs.

"These ar ethe locations where Skarlagk's fortress crawls every few days," Nomrua finally said. " have tracked them since I first arrived in the Daklands, and only know their timing and pattern.

Gunmar glared at Nomura, the Decimaar Blade stille held in firmly in his grasp. Behind him, Dictatious and Kodanth traded an uncertain look.

"Let me live, Gunmar, and I will share these with you," Nomura offered. "If not, well . . ."

Nomura swept away the map with her swod, erasing the Xs. Gunmar just stood there breathing for quite some time before he said, "Come, Nomura. Whisper what you know into my ear so that you may live and serve Gunmar once again."

Nomura hesitated, her eyes flicking toward Dictatious. But he just held up all his hands in uncertainty. Realizing she didn't have much of a choice, Nomura sheathed her scimitars, walked over to Gunmar, and whispered. She had to stand on the tips of her toes just to reach his ear even as he hunched over. Whe she was done, Gunmar nodded and said, "You have kept your end of the bargain. So shall I."

Gunmar cast his eye toward the Gumm-Gumms, and they siezed Nomura.

"What's the meaninig of this Nomura shouted. "You said that I would live! That I would still serve you!"

She struggled against the Gumm-Gumms, but the ultimately overpowered her.

"You do live," Gunmar answered with an ugly grin. "And you shall serve-a lifetime imprisoned in my dungeons.

"Curse you, Gunmar!" Nomura spat in rage. "Curse you!"

"I already am," Gumar replied.

The Gumm-Gumms dragged Nomura, twisting and kicking, into a tunnel. More of those orage spikes slide into place behind them like the bars of a crystal prison.

"Lord Gunmar," Kodanth began after Normuras anguished cries finally faded. "Surely you've considered that Nomura's information might just be a trap set by Skarlagk herself?"

"I have," said Gunmar. "For I have already suffered the folly of trusting a Changeling."

Dictatious watched with glee as Gunmar took a lumbering step toward Kodanth, the Decimaar Blade alight. Under his cloak, Dictatious silently clapped his four hands together.

"W-what?" Kodanth groveled. "You couldn't possibly mean-"

"Such an unpredictable lot Gunmar continued, taking another step. "Tell me, Kodanth, have you discovered who let my Eye fall into the Trollhunter's hands?"

Kodanth swallowed hard and said, "It could only have been Strickler, sire. He was entrusted with safeguarding the Eye until your triumphant return to-"

"Ah, another Changeling, then," said Gunmar as he brandished his Decimaar Blade.

"Yes! I mean, no!" Kodanth fumbled. "I mean. I think he sought to use it as a bargaining chip. I think- I think-"

Kodanth found he could no longer speak. The orange changeling looked down and saw the tip of the Decimaar Blade grazing his chest, its pale energies now spiraling around him. "You think too much," said Gunamar. "So stop."

The wispy tendrils of energy crawled up Kodanth's stricken face and turned his eyes into two mirrored orbs. Gunmar removed his blade, and Kodanth stood still and silent before him. Skulking in the background, Dictatious wanted whoop in joy. Instead, he forced himself to wear a more somber expression.

"Kodanth, make yourself useful for a change. March down to the pens and offer yourself to my Horde- as a meal," Gunmar suggested rather plainly.

Without protest, Kodanth turned and shambled over to the entrance of the Horde pens. The crystal spikes retracted, Kodanth descended underground, and Dictatious heard the starving Horde roar in delight.

Gunmar returned to the sand and used the Decimaar Blade to recreate the entire map as Nomura had described it to him in her whispers. Still white-hot with energy, its searing tip drew all the nine Xs that represented Skarlagk's hideouts.

Dictactious," Gunmar said to his one remaining adviser. "I give you the honor of preparing my forces for battle."

"At once, Dark Underlord," said Dictatious with false humility. "And let me be the first to address you by your glorious new title- Gunmar the Warbringer!"

Gunmar heard the words and bared his fangs in a twisted smile.

Once that June had everything undercontrol with Barbara being home she lied telling her son was over at her house staying for the night with Talia to help her catch up with her studies. Which is the only thing she will have to worry about if they ever get them out of that dark dimension. June came up to the entrance with the horngazle in hand, drew a half circle across against the concrete wall opening the luminous gate and stepped inside. She walked down the crystal stair case, through the streets of Trollmarket with citizens thriving once again after recovering from their battle, and entered the library of Blinkous Galadrigal.

Surprisingly she finds whom she thought she never see the face of the young boy again . . .James Lake Jr.

"Jim," June said with her eyes widen in surprise.


	6. Chapter 6

Reunion

Chapter 6

Marshall, Claire, Toby, NotEnrique and Draal had returned to Trollmarket to meet up with June and Blinky at the Library.

Claire put a hand on Marshall's shoulder all calm with a relieved smile and said, "Great job of reaching out to Tally telling her of Jim's whereabouts."

"I'm sure with Talia's gift she can find him ten seconds flat," Marshall said, grateful to hear his friends talking to him again. "Now that she has the Power of Enhancement combine with Jim's new Eclipse armor I doubt Gunmar stands a chance against those two."

"I wouldn't be sure about that Pretty Boy," NotEnrique said jumping on his back. "Gunmar's a clever Gumm-Gumm, I should know I've seen his tactics and strategy when I used to serve him, and he's manage to pull through every battle."

"Yeah, well so is Tally, Jinx told me how she came up with the idea of stalling Gunmar for him and Chompsky to steal the only thing controlling her crazy, cursed, evil uncle. Marshall said it himself she has reached her potential and defeated Amos." Toby said. "So far and so good Jim and Tally has pulled through the impossible."

They all reached to the library as Toby, Claire, and NotEnrique entered Draal pulled Marshall back grabbing him by the shirt to face him.

"Draal what the-" Marshall said.

"Listen Young Sorceror, just because everyone has let by gones be by gones doesn't mean I have not forgotton you've let Talia face certain doom," Draal began threateningly poking his big stone index finger at his chest . "And I know the fact that you're infatuated with this girl and I do not like. But know this boy. Talia is like a sister to the Trollhunter. And Jim's become like of a brother to me, so that makes her mine too. So don't even think about getting close to her. Or I'll crush every bone in your body."

Marshall stood still completely silent with seat running down from his forehead he swallowed gulping down his throat. Draal thinking that the wizard apprentice had taken his point he walked downstairs entrance leaving him shaken after from having their short conversation. As Draal walked inside Marshall exhaled relieving himself from all the stress. Toby, Claire, NotEnrique, and his Master had liven up to him, but it looks like he still has a lot more work to do if he's ever going to gain Draals trust infact everyone's trust.

Talia had been telling Jim about her adventures in the Darklands and what she had been learning, and gave him around the fortress, even though the rebel Gumm-Gumm's don't appreciate him being at their presence and still hold a strong ill will against his predcessor Deya the Deliverer. But Skarlagk on the other hand was thrilled to have him here in the resistance. Now with the Silver Lion and the Trollhunter now in the possession of the Sword of the Eclipse there is hope for everyone.

Jim and Talia were climbing on the castles walls and rooftops of the mighty fortress. Talia grabbed Jim's hand pulling him up. Once they've finally reached to the tallest tower on the roof, Jim looked over the horizon where the Dark Sun gleams through the darkness."This is where I come to clear my head," Talia said.

"Feral instincts, fast healing, elemental powers, a humanoid lion form, your dad's pendant gives you armor like my amulet, and now you sit on tooftops? What other surprises do you have for me," Jim asked sitting next to her.

She pinched her chin to think, "Hmm. Nope. That's about everything."

Jim smiled and sat next to her looking at the dark gloomy scene. He looked at her and took a deep breath and said, "Tally . . . back at home . . .Jinx and Chompsky told us that you ran into trouble with Gunmar. And that you told Marshall to keep it a secret. Why?"

Talia looked down ashamed thinking back of that time seeing Enrique's sweet innocent face and dealing with both Gunmar and Amos.

"It was my fault for getting caught," she spoke. "Gunmar threatened me that he would kill all the babies including Enrique in the Nursery if I don't do as he asked. Even if I told you. You all would have jumped in and gotten yourselves killed. Like that Nyarlagroth trying to eat you. And imagining you facing my demons and Gunmar at once. I couldn't just . . . happen."

Talia wrapped her arms around her legs shoving her face into her knees upset.

Jim looked at her and understood her feelings because he too had done the same thing to their friends back at home from after losing Arrrgh from their battle with Angor Rot. Which reminds him. . .how was he going to deliver her the news of Arrrgh's death. By looking of how already upset she is how could he. Going through hardships in the Darklands for her was bad enough. But she needed to know about the loss of their friend. "Tal. . ." Talia raised her head looking at him. "Back at Heartstone Trollmarket. . .Angor attacked and Arrrgh he-"

"Dagger Heart!"

A Gumm-Gumm rebel soldier called out to Talia drawing their attention. "Skarlagk has requested an audience with you and the Trollhunter. We're planning to fight Gunmar."

Jim stood up along with Talia, "Wait we're going into battle now?!" Jim surprisingly asked.

"No, of course not were going into a gathering to devise a plan to defeat Gunmar. Now that your here," Talia said. "And my Power of Enhancement, he's going to get the payback he deserves."

Back at the Library everyone besides June could not believe of who was standing there right before their eyes. Jim Lake Jr. alive and in the flesh.

"Jimbo?" Toby was all he could say in response.

Claire ran up embracing him in a hug, "Jim, I've been wanting to do this the second I saw you!"

"Fleshbag how did you-" Draal couldn't finish.

"How did you make it back? Where's Tally," Marshall asked.

Jim looked down in disappointment, Claire let go and looked at him, "Jim what's wrong?"

Jim looked up to them and respond," I'm sorry. . .I'm not even me." He heavly sighed, reached behind his head and pulled off his own face. Blinky now stood where Jim had a moment ago, holding a bizarre tiki-like mask in two of his four hands. Claire gasped.

"Blinky?!" Toby exclaimed. "That was you this whole time?"

"I'm afraid so Tobais," said Blinky. "I apologize for the deception. I merely wanted to show you the answer to our problems while Jim's away on his quest."

Blinky let June take the mask from one of his stone hands and presented it to them. "This is called the Glamour Mask. It allows you to disguise yourself to look like someone else. Like what Blinky just did looking and sounding exactly like Jim." June had said. "It could even fool his own mother."

NotEnrique looked from the Glamour Mask to Claire. She pursued her lips tightly, as if she wanted to say something, but was holding back.

"Hey, sponge-face, NotEnrique said in an unusually soft manner. "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing," Claire said quickly, turner her back to them and wiping something from her eye.

"And you were right about that Glamour Mask, Blinky," Claire continued, now back to business. "It'll definiately help cover for Jim at school and home. At least until he comes back."

Marshall took the mask from June's hand to get a good look at it, "There wouldn't have to be another Mask to cover for Talia would there?" He asked.

"These are very rare mask's, Master Marshall. Infact these artifacts were crafted by a Troll civilization that no longer exists. I raced to RotGut's Apothecary and, by Deya's grace, they just happened to have the last known mask in existance. The very mask you now hold in your own hands." Blinky explained.

"So, this is the only Mask we can rely on for now," Marshall said, before Toby took the mask from his hands.

"Awesome-sauce," Toby said in a singful tune. "Finally, some good luck for a change." The Mask slipped from his fingers and smashed into hundred tiny pieces on the floor.

"Toby!" Everybody hollered.

"Um, my bad?" Toby winced in apology.

NotEnrique literally rolled on the floor and laughed out loud. Draal irritably groaned and kicked him out of the library sent him flying like a soccer ball. Claire knelt down beside the mask fragments and tried to fit them back together like puzzle pieces.

"Miss Sturges, please tell there's a spell to repair this?" Marshall pleadfully asked his teacher.

"Yeah. In movies," June said pinching her eyebrows.

"I don't think there's enough super glue in Arcadia Oaks and Trollmarket combined to fix this," she said. "Anyone got a plan - lets' see, what letter are we up to by now?"

"Q", Draal said.

"Thanks," said Claire. "Anyone got a Plan Q we can use?"

"No," said Blinky, thoughtfully tapping a finger to his lips. "But I may have a Plan K. . ."


	7. Chapter 7

Reunion

Chapter 7

Nomura was now thrown and locked up in the dungeons after from getting captured by Gunmar's search party. Even from showing him the precise locations where Skarlagk mobile fortress moves and when she strikes, and telling him where she is now. It still wasn't enough to cover for her failure to assist his only son and freeing her master from the Darklands.

Gunmar believed his biggest mistake was ever trusting a Changeling and the cost of it was his other eye now the possession of Jim Lake Jr. the Trollhunter. So Kodanth was immediately executed by offering himself up to one of Gunmar's caged beasts as a snack thanks to the works of his Decimaar Blade. Now he prepares the battle against for all who oppose him.

Nomura not only felt betrayed, but built up a huge resentment of her once called Master. How could she not see this coming? How could she allow herself to sell out that young girl, Talia? The only thing that shows pity upon her? She stopped herself to think, _Why am I concerning for that girl again? _Was it because she somehow has respect for her or was it. . .something else? Whatever it is. . .whatever this feeling she's having right now. She prayed to hope Talia to survive this one.

Skarlagk and the council including Jim and Talia were altogether where she lay's out her map with the model Gunmar's Castle along with her little figurines ontop as display. She held out her stick and pushed one of them infront of the model. "The Silver Lion will use this Cradel Stone to transport the babies out of the Nursery while we make frontal assault creating a diversion." She continued, "There are secret tunnels inside the castle that Gunmar's not aware of. Thanks to Dagger Heart's work. " She points her stick towards Jim and said. "You will use that as your advantage to ambush and bring an end to him once and for all."

Jim nodded his head approving to her plan. He whispered into Talia's ear and said, "How where you able to get through to someone like her?" Judging by her rough hardness look.

"She had a change of heart when I lectured her of how her ambitions was so similar to Gunmar after I saved her from Amos's wrath. So rebellion is now fight for a good cause this time." Talia explained.

"Good job," Jim said impressed giving her a pat on the back.

"You would've done the same thing," Talia smirked.

With the gyre now running full high speeds Blinky, Toby, Claire, Marshall, and NotEnrique held on for dear life while Draal maintained the controls.

"Can you go easy on the clutch, dude?" Toby said groaned, rubbing his belly.

"No," Draal, pulling a lever and sending the gyre pinballing down another tunnel.

Toby's face turned as green as NotEnrique's before Draal slammed on the brakes, and the gyre came to an abrupt stop within an active volcano.

"Oh, boy, here come yesterday's tacos," warned Toby.

Claire and Marshall shuddered as Toby leaned out of the gyre and puked into the lava flowing beside them. A few feet ahead, the magma started to churn and swell under a slab of igneous rock, raising it upward.

"We'd better hurr or we'll miss our connecting flight," said Blinky. "So to speak."

Draal opened the gyre door and started handing heavy bundles to everyone. Claire unfolded her bundle and discovered that it was som sort of strange uniform. The suit was hewn from heavy-duty fabrics, with colorful gemstones dotting the seams. A large hollowed-out crystal sat at the top, like a helmet, with another bulky crystal attached to the back, like a scuba tank. Toby weakly wiped the side of his mouth with the back of his hand, then inspected the suit's gloves. They only had spaces for four fingers.

"I'm guessing you didn't buy these at the boutique on Delancy Street," Claire said.

"Graven Garb," said Blinky as he donned his own uniform. "Arrrgh's tribe- the Krubera designed these millenia ago to withstand the crushing pressures and absolute darkness of ther deepest mines."

"Hod on a tick," NotEnrique groused. "This is one Dwarf who aint' going a-mining! Besides, I down even see one of those Graven Garbs for me."

"Maybe the Krubera have a petites section," Toby joked while nudging NotEnrique.

"Unfortunately, RotGut only had five suits in ther inventory," Blinky explained. "You'll have to share with someone."

"Not it!" said Toby, Blinky, Draal, and Claire before Marshall did.

Marshall threw his hands up in the air and said," Alright. But that better be a fresh diaper on you!"

NotEnrique hopped into Marshall's baggy suit, while the others finished dressing. The volcano rumbled, and the lava level started to rise.

"Helmets!" Draal yelled.

The group latched the hollow crystals securely thair Graven Garb and followed Draal onto the floating slab. The rock began to quake beneath their feet as the volcanic pressure built.

"Hold on to your horn," Draal said. "If you got 'em."

Without warning, the lava surged under the igneous platform, launching the team up, out of the Volcano's caldera, and into a dark and wightless void.

"Um, did that volcano shoot us straight into outer space?" Toby asked.

The gemstones studding the Graven Garb suddenly glowed. The spectrum of color revealed that they had not traveled to space-but to the bottom of the ocean. From inside their watertight helmets, Toby, Marshall, and Claire looked down and realized that they had just erupted out of an undersea volcano.

"NotEnrique, you've got to see this!" Marshall said amazed.

But the changeling remained clutched to Marshall's side. Marshall could feel him shivering.

"Nope!" NotEnrique said quickly. "I'm good!"

"Welcome to the Mariana Trench!" Blinky exclaimed.

Somehow, the others could clearly hear Blinky's voice in their ears.

"Whoa!" Toby said. "These helmets have better reception than my cell phone!"

"These crystal helmets have been attuned to share the same frequency," said Blinky. "Think of them as something similar to a human child's crude communication device-the two cans connected by a string. Only without the string. Or cans, for that matter."

"Blinky, this is amazing," Claire said. "But why are we even here?"

"Perhaps it is time that I shared with you the K in my Plan K," said Blinky.

Blinky pointed above them. The groop craned their heads up and stared through their crystal visors in awe. A gargantuan Deep-Sea Troll stepped over them as it walked across the ocean floor. Unlike other Trolls, its body was made of living coral, not rock, and a crust of barnacles and seaweed clung to it like a thick coat.

"Behold," announced Blinky. "The Kelpestrum!"

The Kelpestrum trod along the ocean floor, each of its footsteps kicking up huge clouds of silt.

"Oh my gosh!" Toby hyperventilated. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"

"The Kelpestrum . . .," Draal whispered in awe. "My father used to tell me stories of him. How he's a prehistoric Deep-Sea Troll, the last of its kind. How he's related to Mountain Trolls lik Gatoo or Craggen and his Brothers Three. Kanjigar said the Kelpestrum doesn't care about anyone or anything. He just keeps to the seabed, always walking, always consuming everything in his path."

"Everything . . . including rare Troll artifacts," Blinky added.

Putting his four arms to use, Blinky swam toward the Kelpestrum, and the others joined him. NotEnrique Still trembled inside Marshall's Graven Garb, clinging tight to his waist.

"NotEnrique stop shaking," Marshall said to him. "You're not afraid of a little water are you?"

"What? Me, Afraid?!" said NotEnrique.

His elfin eyes darted to the sides nervously as NotEnrique became more and more awar of the dark, deep, endless ocean around them.

"Uh, don't be sill, Cadden!" he said, trying to sound brave. "Yer just,er, kicking' me in the gronknuks everytime ya doggy paddle!"

"Wait, did you say rare Troll artifacts?" Toby asked Blinky. "You mean, there could be another Glamour Mask inside of that thing?"

"Precisely, Tobias!" said Blinky. "Legend holds that the Kelpestrum once swallowed an entire undersee Trollmarket- the factual basis for your absurd human tall of Atlantis."

"Whoa," Toby said, fogging up his visor.

"Whoa, indeed," Blinky went on. "Before they were eaten, the aquatic Troll villagers used to manufacture many powerful totems, most notably the Glamour Masks."

"So we enter the Kepestrum, get the mask, swim back to the gyre, and return to Arcadia Oaks to convince everybody that Jim's still around, even when he isn't," said Claire, all in one breath.

"Correct," Blinky answered. "Except for the part about swimming back."

His six eyes went crossed as they watched a small crack etch along his crystall faceplate. Little drops of moisture started to bead along the fissure and dribble into his helmet.

"It appears these Graven Garb might not handle the oceans as well as they handle the mines!"Blinky worried. "Perhaps RotGut sold us defective models."

"Or cheap knockoffs!" said NotEnrique's voice from somewhere in Marshall's midsection.

"In either case, I fear they won't last much longer at these depths!" Blinky added as everyone's suits started to take on water.

While Jim and Talia left Skarlagk and her generals to plane their attack on Gunmar's Crucible Pit. Talia brought Jim to the highest spire in a small room where there is a collection of crystals shown. Numerous gems lined the tower's shelves, with chalk markings written around them.

"Looks like Skarlagk's been digging for Triumbric Stones of her own," Jim said.

"Skarlagk allows me to choose whatever gem I want so I can make better use for my missions. That's how I came across this one that lets me turn invisible," Talia said showing him a purple gemstone attatched to a bracelet underneath her leather glove.

Jim examined the bracelet with an interesting look on his face and said, "Cool."

"Thanks," Talia said.

"Well, go on and pick whatever gem you want to upgrade that armor of yours," she said. "You may never know what surprises Gunmar has instore for us when we face him."

Jim agreed with Talia's offer and began looking through the shelves. His eyes landed on a hunk of emerald-like crystal. It shone with the same eerie green glow that permeated everything else in the Darklands. The glow called to the Trollhunter, bringing him closer.

Finding some beat-up gem-cutting tools nearby, he took the emerald from the shelf and set it carefull on a worktable. Following the methods that Vendel had taught him only weeks ago, Jim used the tools to carve the green stone. Talia watched him carefully in silence trying not to break his concentration. Jim focused on chiseling along the ridges, cleaving off the dull parts, and losing himself in the task. When he was done, Jim held up a brilliant emerald shard in the palm of his hand.

"I wonder if. . ." Jim began, looking down at the space where his Amulet used to be.

As if in response, a compartment in the empt circle opened to accept the gem, just as the Amulet had done with the Triumbric Stones. Jim inserted the shard and watched the engravings on his Eclipse Armor suddenly shift to neon green. The effect only lasted for a second before the red returned. Yet Jim felt somehow. . .different with this new stone loaded into his armor. Before he could even guess as to why, a flaming foot kicked opened the metal door behind him.

"HANDS!" shouted Rob as he barged into the tower, ready to throw flames "Show me your hands, creep, unless you want me to drop you like the rest of Doctor Despot's goons!"

Talia instinctively activated her armor along unleashing her beast form, and pounced the flaming changeling pinning him to the ground. Now face to face with him threatening him with her dangerous growl, showing her snarling teeth his only response was a big gulp down his throat. But Jim stepped stepped in telling her to ease off, "Tal, it's okay." He put a hand on her shoulder calming her down. "That's just Rob. He's weird." Talia looked at him and back at the changeling unsure about this bizarre thing. Until she realized she met this thing before when she first fell into the Darklands.

"You know this guy?" she said getting off of Rob.

The Heetling sprang back on his feet then did a somersault, and jumped back up by the spire's open window, as if searching for intruders. He looked down at the Nyarlagroth queen carrying them-and the rest of Skarlagk's moblie base - over a dune of gray gravel.

"What happened to you back at the labyrinth?" Jim asked.

"Well, after we got separated, I went back through the maze, trying to retrace your steps," Rob explained. "But I must've gone right. Anyway, long story short, I found this shish-kebabed Nyarlagroth, followed the Gumm-Gumm footsteps leading away from it, and tracked the slime trails left behind by their rides. Ta-da!"

Rob then leaned closer to Jim and Talia, and whispered, "By the way, I'd watch out with Skarlagk. She's got more loose screws that Gun Robot after his cage match with-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture," Jim said, waving away Rob.

"I've talked through with Skarlagk and she's agreed to help us rescue and liberate the children from the nursery," Talia assured. "She's seen the error of her ways. So there's no need to worry."

"I really appreciate your trust in me, Dagger Heart," A female Gumm-Gumm voice from behind them.

They turned around to face her, Jim winced in embarrassment, "I, ush. . .I'm sorry, Skarlagk," Jim said with a dry cough.

"Worse has been said about me, I assure you," Skarlagk replied before tossing what looked like a leather pouch into Jim's hands. "Drink."

Jim felt liquied swirling around inside of it, like a canteen, an looked up at Skarlagk with gratitued in his eyes.

"Is this water?" Jim asked.

"More or less," Skarlagk answered.

Jim looked at Talia, she nodded her head that it was okay, and that was good enough for Jim. He removed the cap at the end and drank deeply. It tasted slightly salty and sour, but at least it was wet. With each chug, Jim's throat soothed and his headache faded. He drained the pouch of its contents, his long thirst now quenched.

"Thank you," Jim said as he tried to return the canteen to Skarlagk.

"That bladder is yours to keep," said Skarlagk.

"I'm sorry, did you say bladder?!" Jim asked, now holding the pouch at arm's length from his disgusted face. Talia hid her smile trying not to laugh by the look on his expression. "You cleaned this thing out before giving it to me . . . right?"

"More or less," Skarlagk answered again. "But we have more pressing matters ahead of us. Even now, the Nyarlagroth queen moves my compound ever closer to Gunmar's. Soon, you, Dagger Heart, and I shall unite behind the power of your Eclipse Armor and eradicate the Skullcrusher from this and every other world."

"And just before you finish him off, I'll deliver an awesome closing line," added Rob. "Like 'Pop-" Talia punched Rob in the face shutting him up and knocking him out cold.

"Man, he's so annoying," Talia said rolling her eyes.

"Okay, Skarlagk," Jim resumed. "I swear. Once Talia gets Enrique and the babies out of the way. I'll be finish Gunmar once and for-" A sudden blast hit the spire, punching a large smoking hole through the wall. Skarlagk rushed over to it and gasped outsided. Talia and Jim ran over to the smoldering crater and looked out. The color drained from their faces.

"Oh no," said Jim.

"No,no,no," Talia repeated. "This can't be happening."

Peering through the hole, down the tower, and across the Darkland's unforgiving terrain, Jim and Talia saw an immense Gumm-Gumm army overtake Skarlagk's fortress. Thousands of soldiers swarmed the recoiling Nyarlagroth queen and began climbing the walls built on her back with axes grapping hooks. At the same time, Gumm-Gumm archers shot flaming arrows, while the biggest catapults Jim had ever seen launched blazing green boulders.

"It's Gunmar," Skarlagk finally admitted. "He's ambushed us."

When Rob had regained concious from that massive hit from Talia. His sizzling throat was now being strangled by the hands of Skarlagk's brute strength without feeling the pain of his heating body. "You!" she hissed. "You told them where to find us! That's what you were up to before you convenient arrival just now!"

"You-GAK! -got it all wrong!" said Rob as he gasped for air. "GunRobot ain't -URK!-no pun informer!"

Talia broke him and Skarlagk apart trying to calm her down, "Skarlagk stop! Don't waste your energy on something like him. Our main concern right now is survival and if we have any chance of winning is by working togeth-"

She hadn't got to finish her last sentence when another flaming boulder came crashing into the wall sending the Trollhunter plummeting out of the spire and to his doom.


	8. Chapter 8

Reunion

Chapter 8

"Okay, let's keep calm," said Claire as water continued to pour into her Graven Garb. "Just focus on getting inside the Kelpestrum. Once we've got the mask, I can teleport us back to the gure with my Shadow Staff."

"And there's our way in!" Draal yelled as his visor started to buckle too.

He pointed his metal arm at a set of giant gills on the Kepestrum's neck. The slits were each at least ten feet tall, and they fluttered opn and closed as the Deep-Sea Troll breathed in and out. Following Draal's lead, the group swam closer to the Kelpestrum's gills.

"Um, are we sure this's gonna work?"asked Toby.

Before anyone could answer, the gills reopened, and a powerful current sucked them all inside the Kelpestrum.

Everything went dark and topsy-turvy as they passed through the Troll's respiratory system. To Toby, it felt like he was going down the world's most dangerous water-flum ride, but with all the lights turned off. Then, a trememdous flood of seawater deposited Draal, Blinky, Toby, Marshall, NotEnrique, and Claire's bodies in a heap within the Kelpestrum.

"Ugh," groaned NotEnrique as he shimmied up to share Marshall's visor. "Now I know what toilet paper feels like after it's been flushed!"

"Please, no more-URP!-potty talk," Toby belched as he held his queasy stomach. "I'm still not over that taco incident in the gyre. Super-URP!-no bueno!"

The teammates helped on another up-it was a bit of a struggle with their bearings. The gems on their suits lit up in the darkness illuminating the air-filled cavern. Blinky held his four hands against the damp algae-covered walls and felt them rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

"We appear to be in his gullet," Blinky marveled. "Now it's just a matter of searching the entire Kelpestrum from stem to stem-over and again, if need be-until we find that scarest of Troll relics: the extroadinaryily unique Glamour Mas-"

"Over here!" Marshall said pointing down what looked like to about ten Glamour masks floating in the water around his feet.

"Oh. Well, that was remarkably easy," Blinky said.

"Awesome-sauce!" Toby sang.

"Way to go, Marshall!" Claire cheered as she scooped up all the masks.

Blinky gave Marshall a pat on the back, Draal on the other hand still had his arms crossed giving him a serious face. Marshall was agitated until Draal's face had softened up with an approving smile. Guessing that was his sign of appreciation.

Marshall took a deep breath and sighed," Guys. . .I know I already said that I was sorry. But believe me keeping a secret about Talia . . . made me feel really guilty. I only. . ."

Marshall's voice had trailed off and his eyes grew wide, as did NotEnrique's before he shouted and pointed, "Holy sheesh-ka-bob!"

They all turned around and immediately saw what they were so freaked out about. Dozens and dozens of Volcanic Trolls crept out from the Kelpestrum's innards, their weapons all trained on he trespassers.

"Volcanic Troll?!" Toby said. "I thought these guys only hung arond Gatto!"

"I'm afraied they infest all giant Trolls, like mindless parasites," Blinky explained.

Claire handed the masks to Blinky, pulled out her Shadow Staff, and extended it. The handle darkened as she prepared to teleport everyone out of the Kelpestrum.

"Get ready to shadow-jump, gang!" Claire said.

But before she could open a blackhole, a Volcanic Troll reached out and snatched the staff from her hands.

"Hey!" Claire yelled. "Give that back.

They went after her Shadow Staff, but several more Volcanic Trolls spilled into the Kelpestrum's gullet, blocking them. Blinky and Draal stood protectively of Claire, while Toby and Marshall draw out their weapons.

"Oh, no. I've failed both Jim and Talia and there is no way I'm letting them down again!" Marshall said with determination in his eyes.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Magus!" Toby said proudly. "We're getting out of here with these Glamour Masks, even if I have to fight every single, last one of you Volcanic Trolls."

As the mute Volcanic Trolls closed in, Draal cracked his knuckles and grinned. He took another step forward ahead of Blinky and said, "Now that sounds like my kind of escape plan!"

Across the Dunes of Desololation, Gunmar watched his legions of Gumm-Gumms descend upon Skarlagk's nomadic castle. Even from the distance, he could hear his line of catapults smashing the fortress walls.

"The siege goes as planned, Dark Underlord," Dictatious reported as he clambered up to the top of the same dune where Gunmar stood.

"Soon, Skarlagk's rebellion wil be extringuish, and your rule of the Darlands shall be absolute."

"That's not enough," Gunmar said. "I want that traitorous grunt to suffer, just as her father suffered. Release. . .my Horde."

By your command, Warbringer," said Dictatious before he cupped his four hands over his mouth and blew a piercing whistle that carried over the dunes.

At the frontlines of battle, the Gumm-Gumms heard Dictatious's signal and wheeled forward several oversized cages made from those sam orange crystal spikes. The Gumm-Gumms stood clear as Gunmar's Horde burst out of their confines. Hundreds of Helheetis, Stalklings, and Antramonstrum galloped, flew, and spread across the battlefield toward the rebel fortress.

"Sire, it's . . . breathtaking!" exclaimed Dictatious from their dune. "After centuries of planning-of smuggling young Helheetis, Stalklings, and Anstramonstrum from the surface through the Fetches- your Horde runs wild!"

"And they say nothing grows in the Darklands," Gunmar mused as the rebel alarms rang.

The airborne Stalklings were the first to strike Skarlagk's stronghold. With earsplitting screams, the Vulture Trolls dive-bombed the rebel base, nearly knocking down the tallest tower-and Jim along with it.

The Trollhunter hung on to the side of the spire from a pair of brand-new whips. Crackling with neon green energy, they first appeared in Jim's flailing hands as he fell toward certian death. The whips had surged out of the Eclipse Armor, courtesy of the emerald gem in his chest plate. Reacting on pure survival instinct, Jim swung the whips blindly, managing to wrap them around the flagpolle atop the tower. He dangled ther breathless, but alive.

"Jim!"

He looked up and saw Talia sliding down on the castle wall toward him in her armored beast form. With the use of her claws creating sparks she slowed down as she reached him before another Vulture Troll came in buzzing around them.

"Seriously?!" Jim shouted. "Stalklings? How could this day get any worse?"

"Uh, Jim?" Talia pointed down toward the grappled Gumm-Gumms climbing up towards them.

"Boy, I really fell into that one, didn't I?" Jim asked rhetorically.

The Trollhunter then saw another incoming airstrike. He looked down at his whips and thought of an idea. "Tally get ready to jump." he said. Tally looked at him confused before he loosened one of the whips from the flagpole and lashed it toward the swooping Vulture Troll. The flourescent whip cracked through the air and fastened around the Stalkling's beak. Releasing the second whp from the flagpole, Jim held on to the first for dear life. The Vulture Troll pulled him off the tower, Talia quickly retracted her claws, bounced off the wall with her feet, and hopped onto the Stalklings back.

As the Stalkling spiraled out of control, Talia clawed piercing clinging on it's back before she could fall, Jim however was starting to become airsick. Ignoring his nausea, he arce the second whip forward and wrapped it, too around the creature's beak. Talia helped pull Jim up on the flying beast, he then started to tug left and right on his whips, piloting the Stalkling.

"Oh, if Tobes were to see us now!" Jim exclaimed, taking control.

"Woo-hoo! Riding cowboy!" Talia cheered.

Pulling down the whips, Jim drove the Stalkling lower. They skimmed across the top of the battlefield, with Jim staying low on the Vulture Troll's back to avoid detection. Using the whips as reins, Jim guided the Stalkling over Gumm-Gumms' armored heads, under swinging catapult arms, and between barrages of blazing arrows. Now yanking up on the whips, Jim arced the Stalkling over Skarlagk's besieged fortress.

"Thanks for the joyride," Jim shouted. "But here's where we get off."

The Trollhunter slid the whips off the Stalkling's beak, as the duo jumped clear of its back. The Vulture Troll watched them land safely on one of the obsidian ramparts-right before it flew smack into the rebel fag flapping on the tower. The flag ripped from the pole and eveloped the Stalkling. Unable to see, it crashed into one of the catapults which, in turn, knocked into another catapult.

From the fortress's roof, Jim and Talia watched more catapults tip over and into another, like a row of dominoes. The Gumm-Gumms manning fled in terror as the catapults' flaming boulders set fire to the overturned war machines.

"Um, that works," Jim said of the chain reaction he had accidentally started.

Looking into the fortress's innerward, Jim spotted Skarlagk. She fought off a bunch of Gunmar's soldiers with one hand while keeping Rob in a chokehold with the other. His flames flickered as he started to pass out.

"Tally, grab ahold," Jim said.

Jim wrapped one of his whips around a nearby parapet, Tally wrapped her arms around his neck but not too tight to hold on, then he used his whip like a rope to rappel down the fortress wall. Reaching the ward, Jim unfastened his whip, only to be nearly devoured by a lunging Helheeti.

The large fire-cat dug its blazing claws into the turf and spun around for another attack. One of Skarlagk's rebels foolishly tried to stab the Helheeti with his long ax, but only succeeded in splitting it into two separate beasts.

"That thing can multiply?!"Talia shouted.

"That thing's called a Helheeti. The only way you can defeat it is by putting out the flames," Jim explained.

A thought came to her in mind of a simple way extinguishing the fire or better yet. . .blow it away. She pounding a fist into her hand and said, "Well that'll be a piece of cake." She raised and swung her right releasing a gale of wind making the fire disappear like blowing out candles on a birthday cake and saving the Gumm-Gumm rebel.

The Gumm-Gumm soldier turned around thanking his ally raising his ax and nodded his head in approval. Jim looked at her smiling and cocking his eye-brow, "Now that's what I call keeping it crispy."

"No!" Rob cried from Skarlagk's chokehold. "That Helheeti was my Momma!"

Talia smacked herself as Jim rolled his eyes annoyed.

Skarlagk single-handedly flattened another phalanx of Gunmar's soldiers and saw the Talia and the Trollhunter near. She released her hold on Rob and made her way towards them. "There is too many of them. Dagger Heart, we need your Power of Enhancement now if we ever hope to. . ." Her words were cut off when the Nyarlagroth Queen came into a halt. They all then saw a deathly black smoke. Two Anstramonstrum probed into the breech like a pair of living clouds. They passed the fallen rebels and Gumm-Gumms alike, reducing bodies to skeletons under their acidic touch.

Skarlagk's eyes widen as she saw the Anstramonstrum drift in her direction. She crawled under a pile of Gumm-Gumms she had beaten, but Jim and Talia had nowhere to run. Jim backed into the chunk of obsidian behind him and tried to climb it, but his hands found nothing to grasp on the smooth black surface. But Talia stood tall with her feet to the ground feeling a surge of power within herself, got on all fours, took a big deep breath, and let out a massive roar at the fog of doom.


	9. Chapter 9

Reunion

Chapter 9

If Toby, Claire, and Marshall had questioned why Draal was called 'the Deadly,' he answered that in less than thirty seconds. That's how long it took him to take out every single Volcanic Troll surrounding them.

First, Draal tucked his body into a ball and rolled smack into the front line of Volcanic Trolls, toppling them like tenpins. In one swift motion, the son of Kanjigar then flipped into the air and caught two of the many weapons those Volcanic Trolls had just lost. When he landed, Draal held a double ax in his mechanical hand and a short sword in his other.

"These'll do," Draal smirked before launching back into the fray.

Swinging his blades with the skill that comes from a lifetime of training in the Hero's Forge, Draal shred his way through the Volcanic Trolls. He struck blow after blow against them, denting their metal helmets, snapping their weapons in two, and slamming their bodies to the ground. And Draal did all this with a smile, laughing maniacally the whole time.

"Ha-Ha!" Draal boomed as he punched out the last Volcanic Troll. "How'd I do?"

"Great Gronka Morka," said Blinky and the others in unision.

They all stared at Draal - sorta impressed and sorta freaked out- before gazing down at the beaten Volcanic Trolls littering the gullet in his wake. Marshall completely understood and recalled a memory of him saying he would crush everybone in his body if he were ever to get close to Talia. But despite of what he had witness just now that won't stop his feelings he has for her. Although he'll set a reminder for himself to never ever make a guy like Draal angry.

"Twenty-eight-point-five seconds, Draal. A new personal best!" Blinky said.

But a subtle movement in the periphery caught Claire's attention. The groggy Volcanic Troll with her stolen Shadow Staff got up and stumbled down a passageway.

"Hey!" Claire called out to her teamates, getting their attention. "There goes our only way outta here!"

To make matters worse, a second wave of Volcanic Trolls started filling into the chamber.

"Draal cleared us a path," Toby said as he hefted his Warhammer. "Now let's use it!"

Toby swung his enchanted mallet into the onslaught of Volcanic Trolls, sending them flying in all directions. With his arms full of Galmour Masks, Blinky kicked at a few more of their enemy. And Claire bolted in the direction of the one holding her Shadow Staff.

But a large brute of a Volcanic Troll intercepted her midway, grabbing Claire by the wrists and lifting her ff the ground. Marshall saw this after pushing one of them aside, raised his hands and casted a spell, "Vincula glaciem!". The water came up like tentacles wrapping around the Volcanic Troll releasing his hold on Claire, the troll was caught by the water's constriction before the water began to turn into ice. The Volcanic Troll's heat cooled as the light in his eyes dimmed down without showing any fire left in him.

Realizing this was Marshall's doing she turned around to face him and said, "Thanks, Marshall!" She got back on her feet and pursued the Volcanic Troll in possession of her Shadow Staff.

NotEnrique patted Marshall on the face and said, "Nice hat trick you pulled there Mister Great Hudini. June would be proud."

Claire dove past Draal as he took on another squad of Volcanic Trolls, then clambered into the Kelpestrum's next chamber. To cover Claire's escape, Toby stood in front of the passage and twirled the Warhammer in front of him like a propeller.

"Back off, you lame-o lava losers!" Toby said heroically to the Volcanic Trolls. "Unless you want to tast the sweet smack of justic from my Warham-"

Toby's spinning Warhammer got wedge between the passageway's two rock walls. He pulled on it with all his might, but the weapon remained stuck in place. The Volcanic Trolls cocked their heads in confusion. Marshall saw this covered his face with an irritated sigh. A Volcanic Troll was coming right behind him, but Marshall predicted his sneak attack and zapped him with a bolt of lighting with the snap of his fingers.

"Um, hold on a sec," Toby grunted as he yanked on the Warhammer. "You know what would be cool? If this thing would shrink down like Claire's Shadow Staff!"

"I'll get right on that!" Blinky yelled as he kicked away more Volcanic Trolls. "Provided we survive this experience!"

Inside the passage, the narrow walls throbbed with the Kelpestrum's heartbeat as Claire slid between them. Spotting the Volcanic Troll with her Shadow Staff dead ahead, she poured on the speed. Claire pushed her legs as fast as they could go, jumped, and tacked the Volcanic Troll. They both tumbled into a new section of the Kelpestrum, where slimy mucus dripped from the stalactities above them. As Claire got to her feet, Marshall, NotEnrique, Blinky, Toby, and Draal rushed up behind her.

"Uh, more enemy reinforcements reight behind us!" Toby said in a panic. "It's like the Kelpestrum filled up at an all-you-can-eat Volcanic-Troll buffet!"

Claire held out an open hand toward the Volcanic Troll who was holding her staff. There was no other way out of this segment of the Kelpestrum other than the passageway behind her and her friends. The sounds of the third, fourth, and possibly fifth waves of Volcanic Trolls grew closer.

"Hand it over," Claire demanded. "Now."

Trapped, the Volcanic Troll started to return the Shadow Staff, when the soft, marshy floor below all of them suddenly trembled. A loud gurgling noise soon followed, reverberating off the snot-plastered walls. Warm water sloshed around their ankles.

"Uhhh," Toby grimaced. "That sounds a lot like the sounds we heard inside Gatto. Before we, uh, evacuated his Keep, if you catch my drift."

"I'm afraid you're only half right, Tobias," Blinky said over another gurgle. "In our foot chase through the Kelpestrum, we've inadvertently arrived next to a far different part of its anatomy!"

As three of his arms clutched tightly to the Glamour Masks, a fourth pointed straight up at the high ceiling. Between the dripping stalactites, a ring of muscle relaxed and opened.

"A blowhole!" Blinky shouted before the loudest gurgle yet drowned out his voice.

NotEnrique tightly held onto Marshall's neck tight squeezing him with his little arms petrified it was giving Marshall a hard time to breath. With a sudden jolt, the chamber around them contracted, and a forceful rush of air jettisoned them, Blinky, Toby, Draal, and the Volcanic Troll out of the Kelpestrum's blowhole.

Their bodies plunged into the ocean's cold, murky depths. The tide yanked the Glamour Masks from Blinky's arms, while water started pouring into everyone's suits once again.

"We don't have much time!" said Blinky as he fumbled for the sinking masks. "In a few seconds, we won't be any better off than that Volcanic Troll!"

Without a Graven Garb of his own, the Volcanic Troll immediately went limp outside of the relative safety of the Kelpestrum. His body sank away from the others- just as the Shadow Staff fell out of his fingers.

"No!" Claire shouted before diving after her staff.

"Sis, no!" NotEnrique cried.

"Claire!" Marshall shouted. Everyone tried to swim after her, but their crystal helmets started to splinter under the pressure.

"Perhaps I shall join you soo enough, Father," Draal said as another long fracture formed across his helmet's visor. "I only with we had not falled our current Trollhunter."

"We haven't yet!" Claire responded as she kicked after her Shadow Staff. Ignoring the cobweb of cracks spreading across her own helmet, she reached for the staff, but it was just out of her grasp.

"Can't reach!" she strained. "The water in the suit-it's slowin me down!"

"Marshall, you better think of something quick! Or we're all going to drown!" NotEnrique said.

Marshall tried to remember all his lessons through June's guidance and teaching. But the pressure all too much he could not think. He was starting to become scared. Just when all hope seems lost. . .he picked up an idea and figured out the right spell for the job, and shouted, "Giant Bulla!"

"Pardon?" NotEnrique said, the air expanded out of nowhere surrounding everybody it even reached out for the Shadow Staff. Claire finally grabbed ahold of the Shadow Staff before she, Blinky, Draal, Toby, Marshall, and NotEnrique fell on the moist bouncy floor. Blinky removed his helmet examining the round clear looking wall. "Great Gronka Morka," he said amazed by the young wizard apprentice's work.

Claire opened her eyes feeling the her staff back in her hands and finding herself in a giant bubble along with her friends. "Marshall! You did it! I got the staff!"

Marshall was on his knees exhausted from all the excitement looking up relieved that everyone was safe. NotEnrique unzipped his Graven Garb and jumped out stretching his back, "Finally! I can get some fresh air and not share room in that suit of yours." Marshall rolled on his back taking in deep breaths looking up inside the bubble seeing nothing but darkness surrounding them too tired to speak. Now with the staff back in Claire's possession she opened a portal above them as they all floated towards it.

Back at the gyre state the bubble carrying everyone inside dumping them along hundred gallons of seawater hit the magma creating tremendous billows of steam. The bubble popped standing right next to the gyre. Marshall was still exhausted and all too numb to move he remained lying on his back thinking there was nothing else left to worry about anymore now that everyone was safe. Draal came over next to him and said, "You did good, Sorceror." He extended his metal hand out, "Now come on. There's still work needing to be done." Marshall finds the last ounce of his strength and took it helping him off the ground. Draal helped him steady on his feat and walked him into the gyre. "Once we get our friends back. Does this mean you'll let me hang out with Tal?"Marshall asked.

"Ah, heh-heh-heh. . . .no." Draal said.


	10. Chapter 10

Reunion

Chapter 10

"ROOOOOAAAAAAAR!" Talia's thunderous roar dissipate the black fog of death clearing it away from the fortress. Once the fog died down her armor disappeared and her body reverted back to human. Jim ran up slid down to check and make sure she was okay. That amount of power made her use so much of her strength to save everybody from being devoured by the Anstramonstrum.

Jim put a hand on her back and said," Are you alright?"

"I-I think so," she said heavly breathing.

Skarlagk emerged from the fallen bodies and looked to see that the Anstramonstrum had disappeared and find's her champion on her knees with the Trollhunter.

"Talia," Skarlagk said.

But then, just beyond the walls the Gumm-Gumms banged their war drums and repeated the same battle cry over and over again.

"GUNMAR! GUNMAR! GUNMAR!"

"He's coming!" said Skarlagk while reaching for her spears.

But her quivers was still empty, its spears lost within the rubble littering in her ward. Jim and Skarlagk looked at each other as the Gumm-Gumm's chant grew louder and closer.

"The armory," Skarlagk said to Jim as she picked up Talia. "Follow me!"

She ran full-bore into her ruined fortress's keep, and Jim trailed after her. Along the way, he passed Rob, flicked his whip, snared Rob's ankle, and dragged him into the fortress too.

No sooner had they left the ward than the Gumm-Gumm army stormed into it. The vanguard of soldiers parted, allowing Gunmar the Warbringer into the castle he just conquered. Dictatious kept close behind his Dark Underlord, rubbing his four hands together in malice.

"Search the premises!" Gunmar barked at his forces. "Look under every broken shield, if you must, but do not stop until you bring me the Silver Lion and Skarlagk's head!"

Rob stirred and found Jim propping up his body with his armored shoulder as the hurried down a spiral staircase. The Trollhunter winced at the renewed heat coming off Rob, but still refused to leave him behind.

"My hero," Rob said dreamily to Jim. "If it's all right with you, I like to now sing the ballad from our hit soundtrack- 'This Robot's Heart (Is Programmed for Love).'"

Jim threw Rob off his body and caught up with Skarlagk at the base of the steps. He tried to keep mental map of their surroundings as they went and guessed that they were at the very bottom of the fortress.

"In here," Skarlagk beckoned as she flung open a reinforced door with a resounding clang. Jim and Rob followed Skarlagk with Talia in her arms inside, their eyes bugging at the racks upon around them. Skarlagk gently put Talia down on the ground and slid a heavy bolt across the door, locking it. "Grab any weapon you like," she said while picking up a mace and a saw-toohed sword.

"Uh, I think I'm good," Jim replied, looking down at the fluorescent whips looped in his hands. "But does it really matter? Those Gumm-Gumms out ther must outnumber us a thousand to one! How are we supposed to fight all of them and take on Gunmar?"

"And this time, it's personal," Rob added randomly.

"You misunderstand me, Trollhunter," said Skarlagk. "We aren't going to fight Gunmar."

She stomped her booted foot onto the stone floor- three stomps, this time-and the weapons began rattling in their racks. Without warning, a Nyarlagroth burst through the armory walls, heeding Skarlagk's call. Numerous Gumm-Gumm spears and arrows jutted from its sides like needles in a pinchushion.

"I don't get it," Rob said while jerking a thumb at the Nyarlagroth. "Is this thing supposed to fight Gunmar? Because that's just ridiculous."

Skarlagk signaled the Nyarlagroth, and it obediently opened its jaws. Hauling back her leg, Skarlagk punted Rob inside the eel's maw with a swift kick to Rob's rear.

"Catch you in the sequel!" Rob said before being swallowed in one giant gulp.

Jim looked from the slithering behemoth to Skarlagk in utter disbelief.

"What're you doing?!" Jim demanded, his whips now crackling with neon fury.

Skarlagk lifted Talia's exhausted body up from the ground.

"Skarlagk?" Talia weakily said.

"Talia. I'm. . .so sorry for everything. You were right. Those children in the Nursery do not deserve this," Skarlagk said with a sound of grief in her voice. "And. . .I'm glad that we've met." She signaled the Nyarlagroth again. The eel spat out it's tongue wrapping it around her waiste lifting her up in her coils.

"Skarlagk. . .I don't understand," Talia said, as it reeled her in.

"Take care of your brother," she said, grabbing and throwing Jim inside of the beast's mouth, sending him flying screaming. Talia tried reaching out for her knew what she was planning. "Skarlagk. . .no!"

"Find the nursery, find this Enrique!" she said, as Talia was slowly being reeled in towards the Nyarlagroth. Skarlagk removed her father's skull and fit it on top of her own head like a helmet of bone. Now done with the satchel, Skarlagk tossed it past her, and into the eel's waiting mouth.

"Rescue him and all of the other babies withing it," said Skarlagk. "Give them the childhood that Gunmar stole from me."

"Skarlagk!" Talia cried out towards her. The last thing she saw before the drooling jaws of the Nyarlagroth shut around her was the Warrior Queen taking up her mace and sword once again. Now lodged in the cramped recesses of the throat, Talia couldn't see anything.

As the Nyarlagroth started to slither out of the fortress. Skarlagk took one last look before it went down the hole leaving her alone to her fate. "Goodbye. . .my friend."

The Gumm-Gumm's came bursting in along with their Dark Underlord, Gunmar.

"Skarlagk the Scorned," he said. "Hiding in a corner, just as she did when I beheaded her father. Perhaps I shall do the same now and make a matching set of their skull's. Or perhaps I shall use my Decimaar Blade to make her finally obey my every order."

"I would sooner die than serve you again," Skarlark said with a defiant voice ready with her sword and mace.

They then came charging at each other and their blades collided light igniting sparks. The Gumm-Gumm's stomped their spears for the sounds of battle. Skarlagk brought up her mace with her other hand and hit him across the face. Gunmar swung his blade again the two Gumm-Gumms continued fighting. Skarlagk step aside dodging his Decimaar blade, she swung her sword trying to take his head, but he blocked it in time before she could do so. Then He came at her with an upper-cut punch right under her chin, but Skarlagk remained strong and brought up her mace again. But then Gunmar knocked it away tossing it aside. Skarlagk still had her sword and slash him across his chest but. . .it inflicted no wound. Skarlagk's eyes had widen underneath her father's skull. Gunmar smirked and malicously laughed, "You still don't understand. I can't be killed!" They resumed in battle Skarlagk tries her best to keep up and withstand the indurance of this monster's brute strength, but Gunmar was overpowering her by each ounce of will he has left from the remainding power he'd absorbed from the heartstone.

As they continued on and on Skarlagk was growing tired and so was Gunmar. Skarlagk came at him once again with her sword, but. . .Gunmar saw an opening, grabbed her throat, lifted her high in the air and slammed her down to the floor creating a massive crater. Skarlagk search for whatever possible strength she had in her left, but it was all so hopeless now.

"I must admit young one," Gunmar said impressed by the female Gumm-Gumm's skill. "You've proven to be quite formidable just like your father, Orlagk. But before I kill you I must know. . .Where is the Silver Lion?"

Skarlagk gagged with blood coming out from her mouth, "Even if I knew. . .I wouldn't tell you."

"Why? You know very well her family is the reason why I'm here in the first place. The reason your father is dead. So why would you give your life for this hybrid?" Gunmar asked.

"Because. . .She's the. . .closet's thing. . .I would ever. . .call . . . a sister," she finished.

Gunmar raised his stone eyebrow with a dull expression thinking of what _kind of an excuse is that_? But it didn't matter to him. He removed Orlagk's skull from her face, and brought down his foot over her head. Dictatious closed his eyes and looked away from the cold brutal death.

Once the job was done, Dictatious went over to his master standing next to him and said, "So what now? My lord?"

"The girl is still out there somewhere and so is the Trollhunter I can feel it. Spread out everywhere and find them, and do not rest until they are found," Gunmar demanded. "I need to return and restore my strength."

Dictatious bowed respectively and said, "As you command, Master."

"Tally!" A voice echoed in the darkness.

After the Nyarlagroth had swallowed her whole, Jim and Rob had found her lying unconcious, and now they are all within the belly of the beast. "Tally, come on." He shook her trying to wake her up. "Come on, little lady! Up at at 'em! There's no time for nappin." Rob added.

Talia scrinched her face as she slowy begans to open her eyes. Her vision was a blur at first, but once they became clear she finds her friend and the firey changling before her. She shook, rubbing her head from a painful throbbing migraine. "Jim. . .what?"

"Come on," Jim said getting back on his feet, "We need to get out of here or we'll all be digested."

"Digested?!" Talia shouted now realizing that they were all inside the Nyarlagroth that had swallowed them.

"It turns out these things are immune to fire both inside and out," Rob said.

Jim looked down at his legs. The Eclipse Armor protected them from the stomach's corrosive juices, yet last-or how much breathable oxygen was left in there. He conjured up the Sword of Eclipse in his right hand.

"Okay," Jim said to them as he pointed the blade at the intestinal wall. "This is gonna get messy."

Talia knew where Jim was going with this and to think riding inside the belly of the beast was bad. She could not imagine how disgusting this'll be once they're out of it.

They Nyarlagroth lumbered past Madness Canyon, until its tubular body spasmed and bellowed out an anguished screech. The Sword of Eclipse poked through the eel from the inside and sliced a slit across its flesh. Jim, Rob, and Talia then wriggled out of the incision, along with several other partially digested contents from the Nyarlagroth's belly.

"The! Dark! Lands! Suck!" muttered Jim as he wiped eel ooze from his armor.

The Nyarlagroth continued pas the canyon. Jim watch with surprise as its side stitched itself back together, fully healed within seconds.

"Those things are as tough as they are ugly," said Rob.

"For once we can both agree on something," Talia said.

Rob held out his hand for a high-five, but Jim pretended he didn't see it.

"Look, Rob, back there with the Helheetis," Jim began, searching for the right words. "I, um . . .well, I'm sorry about your mom."

"Oh, that's okay, Jim," said Rob. "I don't know if I mentioned this to you yet, but my mother ate my father a while back, and I still have some unresolved issues around that."

"Uh, gotcha," Jim said, trying to hide his bewilderment. "Well, anyway, now that my friend and I are together again I guess this is good-bye, Rob."

Caught off guard, Rob floated over to Jim, studying the Trollhunter's soot- and slime-streaked face to see if he was joking.

"But-but-but, we're partners," Rob whined. "We ride together until the commissioner throws us into lockup for being a couple of loose cannons!"

Jim took Talia's hand and kept on walking without saying a word.

"Besides, we had a deal!" Rob added. "I lead you through the Darklands, and you take me back to the surface world for the greatest Gun Robot movie marathon since Action Con 87!"

"Only you didn't lead me anywhere," Jim finally said. "And things have changed."

Jim and Talia reached a high outcropping of rock and looked out past Madness Canyon. Beyond the labrinth below them, they saw the remains of Skarlagk's fortess, miles away. Even from here, they could see the Horde picking at the broken citadel like a carcass. Oily black fumes drifted from it's spire like a lopsided chimney, blotting out of the Darklands' photo-negative sun,

Talia clutched the emotional anguishing pain in her heart feeling the loss of one of her only allies in this horrible place. When she had first met Skarlagk and joined her resistance it was only for survival, then it was unlocking her greatest potential, later on there were some disagreements that she did not approved, but after she had saved her life opening her eyes as well as her heart. Talia then started to come to respect her because they had one thing in common. They both lost their beloved father's. Jim put a hand on Talia's shoulder understanding the pain she was going through now.

"Everything's changed," Jim said, his grim stare still fixed on what was left of Skarlagk's rebellion. "The deal's off."

"No it ISN'T," Jim heard Rob say, the Heetling's voice building with each word.

Turning around, they saw Rob's flames burning brighter than ever, his face screwed up in anger, before he reverted into his fireball shape.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Rob demanded. "HOW DARE YOU?!"

A great peal of flame arced forth from the fireball, streaking toward them. The Trollhunter summoned his shield as Talia summoned her armor transforming into her beast form, and went behind Jim for cover from the blast. Jim grit his teeth under the heat. Once the fusillade dissipated, Jim pivoted and smacked Rob away with the flat of his sword.

"How dare I?" Jim asked, incredulous, as the fireball's trajectory sent it bouncing off the ground. "Are you serious? Can you think about anyone other than yourself for even a second? What about those babies that are trapped a world away from their families?"

"Or you stealing lives! Impersonating them without their parents realizing their child has been replaced by a fake!" Talia snapped.

Jim gestured with his sword back toward the charred husk of the fortress and said, "What about Skarlagk and her rebels? They may have not been the friendliest bunch, but they didn't deserve what happened to them!"

"It's like I told ya, rookie," the fireball said as it started to go supernova. "The only way to survive the Darklands is by killing everything else in the Darklands."

Rob flew in the wide path around Jim and Talia, trailing fire as he went. Coming full circle, Rob joined one end of the flames to the other, creating a blazing ring around them.

"Stay here long enough, and this place will taint you, too. Just like your dear friend here!" Robbed said pointing out to Talia.

Talia summoned a powerful gust of wind blowing the fireball and the ring of fire away, knocking the changeling down back to his solid form. Talia from standing behind Jim and his magic shield now taking a stand infront of him. "No. I may have been crawling in the dark for who knows how long. But I always find the light to shine and carry on. No how impossible it may seem." Talia continued, she held onto Jim's hand. "And now my friend is here."

Rob didn't care about the girl's speech he turned back into a raging fire ball and attacked. Jim and Talia jumped out of the way in time before the blazing heat could hit them. Rob flew by past them and turned around saying, "Tell me where the portal is, partner. Point me to the way out, and I'll point you to the nursery."

Jim squinted, skeptical, and said, " I don't believe you. You don't know where it is. You're just some hyperactive liar who's watch way too many eighties action movies."

"C'mon," Rob added quickly as if he hadn't heard any of whay Jim just said. "Where'd you leave Killahead Bridge? Tell me. Tell me! TELL ME!"

Talia jump right next to Jim and said, "Geeze, this guy's so annoying."

"You said it," Jim agreed. Then a idea occured to Jim.

"Okay," Jim began, Talia looked at him confused.

"What are your doing?" Talia whispered.

"The portal . . .it . . .it's in the maze."

"See?" said Rob cheerfully as he turned back into his humanoid shape. "Was that so hard? And the maze, huh? Clever! You must've just walked out of there right before I met you."

"Yep," Jim replied. "And now you'll show us where Enrique is?"

Rob shrugged his lit shoulders and said, "Oh yeah, about that. . .see, that was a double cross. It's a staple of any action flick, as is a killer catchphrase. Like this one: 'Gun Robot is gunning for YOU, Doctor Despot!"

Rob reverted back into a ball and opened fire on Jim-literally. But the Trollhunter saw it coming and jumped out of the way.

"Jim! What the heck?!" Talia said.

Jim turned back to her and said, "Just trust me, okay?!"

He ran toward the fireball and engaged his shield again before jumping. The Trollhunter landed shield-first on top of Rob and pushed himself off the floating orb in a single springing motion. The momentum carried Jim high into the air. He detached his shield from his gauntlet, and used it to surf down the canyon wall. Talia pursued right after Jim as the fireball chased right behind them. Skidding to a halt at the bottom of Madness Canyon, Jim made a break for the maze dead ahead of him.

"You can't lose me in there!" Rob called after Jim. "I'll find you and cook you like a canned ham in your armor!"

Jim and Talia zigged and zagged through the labyrinth, trying to put distance between themselves and the fireball. But Rob's voice echoed through the maze.

"Then I'll use your portal to get to the surface and buy a matinee ticket at the closest movie theater! And then I'll burn your entire world! But not the movie theater! That place I'll leave alone!"

"Yeah, but that won't save you anymore sequels if burn the entire world to blaze!" Talia shouted.

Running deeper and deeper into the maze, Jim finally stopped. They've reached a hub from which multiple pathways branched into different directions, like the spokes of a wheel

"WHERE ARE YOU?" shout the fireball from nearby. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Jim's breath ragged from exhaustion, he dropped to his knees in the front of a cluster of rocks. THe labyrinth lit up around him as Rob tracked Jim into the hub.

"Can you feel it?" Rob asked.

Jim remained kneeling, not lookiing back at Rob. Talia crouched down like a ferocious lion growling defending her friend.

"The electric guitars in the rock 'n' roll score are starting to play, Rob went on. "The chopper is hovering overhead, and the police cars are racing to the docks of Long Beach Harbor. This is the end of our story, partner."

"Do I get a final speech?" Jim asked, still on the ground.

He pressed his hands to the labyrinth floor and felt a vibration build uner him. Rob, floating in the air, didn't seem to notice.

"I guess," Rob said after thinking it over. "But could you do it with Spanish subtitles for our Latin American audiences?"

Talia deadpanned dramactily fell on the ground be this changling's bizzare whatever sense is left in that brain of his.

"I'll do you one better," said Jim as he stood up. "I'll give you the one part of the movie that you forgot."

"Forgot?" Rob repeated in bewilderment, oblivios to the mounting vibrations beneath his round, levitating form. "What did I leave out?"

"The part right before the very end," Jim said, his body tensing in anticipation. "When the good guy walks away, and the bady guy gets back up one final time."

"Oh, you mean the last-minute jump scare!" Rob answered before a deafening shriek split the air.

Several more screechs foloowed as countless Nyarlagroths snaked out of the passageways surrounding the hub. Jim and Talia quickly moved out away from the round, red, rocky Nyarlagroth eggs that had been by his knees.

"You tricked me!" Rob cried. "But the trick's on you I can just fly outta here!"

The fireball started to zoom away, but Jim recalled his whips into his hands and unfurled them into the air. He wrapped them around Rob and held him fast in place.

"No, you can't," said Jim.

The Nyarlagroths all ignored the Trollhunter, focusing instead on the bound sphere of fire shining above them. The sight reminded Jim of the moths he and his mom would sometimes see gathered around their porch lights. Rob struggled to pull free as several sets of teeth nipped and snapped at him, but the whips remained taut.

"NO!" screamed Rob. "You can't do this!" You'll never defeat me! I'lll see you again! I'll see you-AT THE MOVIES!"

He shot streams of fire at the eels, which puffed harmlessly against their durable hides.

"Nyarlagroths are fireproof on the outside," Jim reminded him.

Their lips peeled back in hunger. Their jaws scissored open. And then the largest of the Nyarlagroths ate Rob in a single clapping bite.

"And the inside," said Jim before he made his whips fade into nothingness.

The other eels turned on the largest, greedily attacking it for the bright thing it had just swallowed. The Trollhunter used the distraction to slip away undetected.

"How did you know their nest would be there?" Talia whispered.

"Lucky guess," Jim said.


	11. Chapter 11

Reunion

Chapter 11

Jim removed the emerald gem from his chest plate and tossed it into the placid black lake he had found.

"Why would you throw that?" Talia asked. "They could've proven to be more useful?"

Jim cupped his hands together washing the grime off from his skin and armor. He then caught a rippling reflection of his own face he had not seen for a long time. He barely recognized the pale, gaunt, and weary person that stared back at him.

"Jim?"

He finally had heard the sound of his friends voice and turned around to face her.

"Are you okay,man," she asked.

"I'm fine. . ." he lied.

Talia studied him and knew the tone of voice of his was not the right response of him being okay.

"Come on, Jim. We grew up together as kids I can tell what's bothering you. So tell me what is it?" Talia said.

The thought of his mother, Arrgh, Blinky, Draal, NotEnrique, Marshall, and especially Toby and Claire flooded back into his mind. He took a big deep breath and finally confessed, "I think that. . .maybe. . .that I should've have brought backup. Even since I took my first step into this place I almost got myself killed if you hadn't saved me in time. If they were here right now you and Enrique both would be home right now."

Talia put a hand on his shoulder and said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Jim. Why did you come here alone?"

Jim looked at her and became unsure of about how he was going to answer. He tried to tell her back at Skarlagk's fortress before it had fallen, but he didn't have the heart to say about Arrgh's demise. He cringed his face to a deep breath through his nostrils feeling a little bit emotional and then exhale relieving him of the pain.

. "I'll tell you once we find shelter," Jim said as he retraced their steps through the maze. Then came upon the same spot where he had freed them from the Nyarlagroth's belly finding Skarlagk's satchel and retrieved it from the disgusting blob. He looked inside and found a few more gross bladder canteens, as well as the nub of chalk Skarlagk used to draw her maps. Talia looked at the satchel reminding her that it had once carried her deceased father's skull. It was sort of a weird way of keeping a memory of a loved one's treasure, but it was kind of like Talia's family pendant around her neck reminding her of her father. Jim then thought that it was best that she held onto it because she and Skarlagk were close, so she offered it to her.

"Here," he said, Talia was hesitant at first. "She would want you to have it."

Talia then took the satchel from his hands and then wrapped the straps of the big satchel around her like a backpack.

They continued their travel and then once reaching the ravin, Jim anchored the chain around a jagged tusk of rock and climbed down to the ledge. Talia climbed down the chain to the ledge and found a recess alcove where Jim was sitting down resting. After from having all the excitement and struggle for survival who could blame him. She was feeling the same exhaustion as well and sat next to him.

"We're going to get back home Jim," she said. "I know this place like the back of my hand finding the nursery shouldn't be no problem at all."

Jim looked at her and smiled thanking her for the support. He then thought that if there's any possiblity that they're going to be here for a while he may as well make this place feel like home.

"Hey can you pass me that chalk?" he asked.

Talia opened Skarlagk's satchel grabbed the white chalk and tossed it to him.

Jim got back up and then began sketching their human and Troll family on the alcove's slate walls. Jim never thought he much of an artist, but his mom once told him how she used to paint before he was born.

Losing himself in the chalk, Jim didn't stop until he had finished rendering Claire, Toby, Blinky, Marshall, June and Arrrgh. Talia smiled admiring his expression of art like she usually does back at home. "Not bad," she complimented. Jim sat right back down next to her, "Thanks." he said.

He then looked at her and sighed figuring now would be the best time telling her the truth about Arrrgh.

"Tally, back at the fortress. . . .I wanted to tell you that. . .back home at Heartstone Trollmarket. You remember Marshall telling you about Angor Rot right?"

"Yes," Talia nodded.

"Well he. . .he stole the horngazle from Claire and found his way in. Everyone fought for their lives, many have fallen, we won though, but. . ." he was starting to get emotional remembering the memory of Arrgh dieing before his eyes.

"Jim?" Talia said sensing the grief within him.

"Tal. . .Arrrgh couldn't make it," he said.

Talia's eye's widen and her mouth a gaped confused upon hearing what he'd just said.

"What?!" she said.

"Angor had creeper sun poison coated on his dagger. . .Arrrgh got infected. . .and then Toby was wide open and then Arrrgh. . .he took the blow," Jim finished.

Talia's eyes then began to swell up as tears began to leak down from her face . Finally understanding why he didn't bring their friends along. Arrrgh the lovable giant had been slain. First she'd lost her parents, then she'd lost Skarlagk, now she had to learn of about another friends tragedy during her absence.

"No," she said with grief in her voice, "No, no,no,no."

"Tally, I'm so sorry," Jim said with sorrow.

Talia's face was down to the floor and then raised her head looking at Jim with her eyes all red.

"No. . .don't say that. . .none of this was your fault," she said, wrapped her arms around hugging him. "If I hadn't let go of Draal . . . maybe things would've been different." Jim embraced comforting her in his arms letting all her feelings out. What would really happened if Talia hadn't let go? Would Arrrgh still be alive? Could she really have taken out Angor if she hadn't had the training she required? They may never know.

Epiliogue

When they all have arrived back home Marshall discovered that his teacher had a spell to restore the Glamour Mask Toby had broken before they started this quest. He was in a complete and utter lost as in why didn't she just tell them and not risking thier lives getting swallowed up by the Kelpesrum? She said it was another part of his training and it was also the best way to regain everyone's trust. Marshall still did not understand it but in someway. . .it really did help him. So Marshall extended his help by using the magic of the Glamour Mask to impersonate Jim.

The mask was so convincing she did not suspect anything at all about her son's disappearance. Even though it was deceitful but in some way it was kind of nice for Marshall to call someone mom.

Although it wasn't easy for Claire and Toby. They had to cover up Jim's absence by decieving the entire school telling everyone that Jim had an ultra rare disease and now was being quarantined at the hospital. Claire hated the idea of making up a phony disease while there were so many genuinely sick people around the world. But Claire also understood that people generally avoided talking about the uncomfortable subject of illness. And anything that kept students and teachers from asking too many questions about Jim was probably a good thing, as far as Claire was concerned.

So, she and Toby created a fake web page and thus Jim Lake Disease was born. Claire gave specific convincing details to even fool all those who read it, handed Eli Pepperjack a coin collection can, and acted sad whenever anyone mentioned Jim's name. Only it wasn't much of an act for Claire. All she could do was donate the money Eli collected to actual charities and hope that each new day would bring Jim back to her.

Blinky tried to keep himself busy as well. As Draal and a reluctant NotEnrique pitched in on the rebuilding efforts in Trollmarket, the six-eyed Troll remained in his librayr. He tinkered with Toby's Warhammer, trying to devise a way to make it telescope down in size lik Claire's Shadow Staff. And whenever he took a break from that, Blinky would jusst hit the books and search in vain for a way into the Darklands.

After closing what felt like the millionth useless scroll, Blinky rubbed his bleary eyes and stared at Arrrgh's stone body in the corner.

"I really miss him, Arrrgh," Blinky said. "I miss you both."

_Miss you, too, _Arrrgh wanted to say back to Blinky.

But the words never seemed to leave the foggy borderlands between life and death, in which Arrrgh had spent the las weeks. He first woke up here the instant after the Creeper's Sun poison finished turning him to stone. Arrrgh had then walked around the endless space, hearing everything his friends said around his petrified body, yet unable to make his replies heard.

Litted did Arrrgh know that he had actually found an audience in a separate, even more remote dimension. For in the ghostly realm know as the Void, the Council of Trollhunters watched Arrrgh's roaming spirit.

"Ah, Aarghanont," said Kanjigar the Courageos. "How good it is to see you, my old friend, even in circumstances such as these."

Kanjigar turned to the other fallen Trollhunters who joined him in observing Arrrgh through a circular window of magic. In all, there were scores of other armored Trollls who had preceded Kanjigar-and now Jim-as Merlin's former champions.

"Although he does not yet realize it, Arrrg shall be the key to James Lake Junior's and Talia Sturges's salvation," Kanjigar announced.

"How can you be so certain?" squeaked Unkar the Unfortunate. "No other Trollhunter has ever dared to venture into the Darklands. Who's to say he even can get out? If he survives, that is!"

"Kanjigar speaks the truth, said Deya the Deliverer, her transparent eyes flashing the same shade of blue as her Amulet. "The Void has shown us both visions of the future. The current Trollhunter and the last Bloodline of Leo the Slayer, will find the child they seek. They will face Gunmar, and they will escape the Darklands, although not in any way they or their allies could ever expect."

"And this Krubera, began Spar the Spiteful, indicating Arrrgh in the window with his tusks. "He plays some part in the Trollhunter's victory?"

"The Troll is the key," Kanjigar confirmed, his eys now glowing, too, as the Void gave him another glimpse of tomorrow.

"The key to the Hunter," repeated Tellad-Urr the Terrible.

Soo, the entire Council of Trollhunters fell into the chant.

_The Troll is the key, the key to the Hunter._

Kanjigar wa the last to join in the spectral chorus, for he had seen something else in the latest vision the Void had shared.

_The Troll is the key, the key to the Hunter._

Arrrgh would indeed prove crucial to rescuing the human Trollhunter and the Silver Lion from the Darklands-as would Kanjigar, in his own way.

_The Troll is the key, the key to the Hunter._

And that's when Jim Lake Jr. and Talia Sturges would face their greatest challenge yet.


End file.
